Question 1: For a substance, what is the difference between mass and molar mass?

How are these

two related?

Mass is a fundamental dimension, and Molar Mass is a derived dimension.

Mass is a fundamental property of a body that composes the resistance of that body
to change its motion under external influence. Which motion can be defined as the body’s
velocity. The mass of that body can be experimentally measured by the amount of force
applied to the body to produce an acceleration or change in motion in a given time.

In the metric or SI unit system, the amount of mass is defined by the “gram (symbol
g),” which can be defined by the mass of a body where a change in velocity of 1 cm/s
occurs in 1 s as a result of a force of 1 dyne or 1 (g*cm)/s acting on the body. The common
metric unit for mass is the kilogram (symbol kg) which is 1000 times more than a gram (1
kg = 1000 g), and the USCS (United States Customary System) unit for mass is the slug.
However, the pound concept predates the idea of mass, and the pound was standardized
under the average gravitational acceleration induced by the Earth; hence, it is much more
consistent with using pound mass instead of the slug.

Until the 19th century, mass (the kilogram) was only defined by a platinum-iridium
alloy currently stored in a basement vault in Sévres, Paris. Presently, the kilogram is
defined by a universal constant, the Planck constant, h = 6.62607015 x 10 -34 J-s. Actual
measurements using the Planck constant can be done precisely by the Kibble balance.

Molar mass is the mass of matter or body per 1 mole (symbol g/mol, kg/kmol,
lbm/mol). A mole is an amount of a thing (atom or molecule) of a substance, which is
defined by Avogadro’s number (6.022 x 10 23). The unit that is mole is needed to link the
relationship between the number of atoms or molecules of a substance for a unit sample
of a substance, which is in standard, defined in mass because solving balance equations
do not include mass but rather the number of atoms or molecules.

Avogadro’s number was determined by the number of atoms in a 12-gram sample of

an isotopically pure carbon-12. Counting is done through an experiment with equipment
that determines the total charge of the sample and a charge of a single atom.

For a substance of pure element, the mass of one atom of that element can be
determined by dividing its molar mass by Avogadro’s number, and the mass of that
substance in 1 mole is its molar mass. For example:

The molar mass of Uranium-238 is 238.02891 g/mol, which means that 1 mole or
6.022 x 1023 atoms of Uranium-238 has a mass of approximately 238 grams.

References:

1. Jammer, M. “Mass.” Encyclopedia of Philosophy. Retreived October 25, 2021 from

Encyclopedia.com: https://www.encyclopedia.com/humanities/encyclopedias-
almanacs-transcripts-and-maps/mass
2. The Mole and Molar Mass. (2021, July 30). https://chem.libretexts.org/@go/page/17282
 3. Britannica, T. Editors of Encyclopaedia (2021, September 25). mass. Encyclopedia
Britannica. https://www.britannica.com/science/mass-physics
Question 2: Is the specific weight an extensive or intensive property?
Specific weight (symbol γ) is defined as a substance’s weight per volume (N/m 3,
lbf/ft3). It is normalized by volume, an extensive property. Thus, it is an intensive property.
It does not change with any amount: mole, volume, or mass. The mathematical expression
of specific weight is:

F mg
γ= = =ρg
V V

For instance, a water in a tank weighs, in scale, 25 kg (at g = 9.8061 m/s^2) with
0.028 m3 = 28000 cm3 = 28 liters. After 10 kg of water is added, its volume increased to
0.0392 m3 = 39200 cm3 = 39.2 liters

m
25 kg∗9.8061 2
s N
γ 1= 3
=8755.45 3
0.028 m m

m
( 25+10 ) kg∗9.8061
s2 N
γ 2= 3
=8755.45 3
0.0392m m

Thus, the specific weight of water at g = 9.8061 m/s^2 does not change with the
addition of mass and increase in volume. That is,

Δ γ =0 : Δ m>0 , Δ V > 0

An intensive property has values in any way not affected by changes in size or
quantity.

References:
1. Helmenstine, A. M. (2011, May 18). What Is An Intensive Property? ThoughtCo.
https://www.thoughtco.com/definition-of-intensive-property-605250
2. Moran, M. J., Shapiro, H. N., Boettner, D. D., & Bailey, M. B. (2014). Fundamentals of
engineering thermodynamics. John Wiley & Sons.

Question 3: What is cavitation? What causes it?

Cavitation is the formation of gaseous pockets within liquids in conditions that the
liquid is not supposed to increase in volume. It occurs when there is an increase in specific
volume within the boundary of the liquid due to a significant decrease in pressure.
 Cavitation occurs because of the inhomogeneity of a substance, and the impurity
may be caused by negligible gas bubbles, which are considered cavitation nuclei. When a
significant reduction of pressure occurs and reaches a limit, these gas bubbles or pockets
expand rapidly in all directions. Subsequently, when the surrounding pressure increases,
some amount of vapor within the bubble condenses, and the bubble shrinks.

Any liquid has a unique resistance to cavitation because of: the concentration of gas
particles and the number of dissolved gases.

The compression and condensation of these gas bubbles happen more rapidly, which
results in instantaneous local changes in density, liquid velocity, and temperature, and
Mach number greater than one. The phenomena often produce sound, and some may
exert forces and damage solid materials.

Cavitation is associated with volumetric instability due to rapidly expanding and

condensing gas bubbles. Other than gas bubbles, unwetted solid particles or surfaces are
also nucleation sites for cavitation to progress. As for the cavitation due to unwetted
surfaces, fast motions of the viscous flow region results in decreased local pressures, thus,
the reduced boiling point. If the decreasing boiling point reaches the temperature of the
viscous flow region, vaporization occurs, and small gas bubbles are produced. When
pressure increases and returns to the original pressure, the boiling point returns to
normal, condensation and compression also occur instantaneously, which generate shock
waves that reach and permeate the solid’s surface. The forces imparted to the surface
cause fatigue, stress, and microscopic deformations in the surface, which prove essential
to the overall strength of the material.

The mechanism by which small volumes of gas in a fluid rapidly expand and collapse
because of pressure instability (due to a shockwave or fast relative velocity) is called
cavitation. While changing pressures variably causes low-pressure gas bubbles within the
fluid, temperature, however, remain approximately constant. Vaporization occurs
because pressure also affects the saturation point of any fluid.

References:

Fitch, E. C. (2019, April 22). Cavitation Explained And Illustrated. Noria.

https://www.machinerylubrication.com/Read/380/cavitation-wear-hydraulic