Memorandum

Tutorial Test 1A

1. Kinetic energy K has dimensions kg.m2/s2. It can be written in terms of the momentum p
and mass m as
𝜌2
𝐾=
2𝑚
Determine the proper units for momentum using dimensional analysis.

Solution
Consider dimensions in terms of their mks units. For kinetic energy K:

Solving for [p2] and [p] then gives

2. The radius of a uniform solid sphere is measured to be (6.50 ± 0.20) cm, and its mass is
measured to be (1.85 ± 0.02) kg. Determine the volume of the sphere in kilograms per cubic
4
meter and the uncertainty in the density. .(𝑉𝑜𝑙𝑆𝑝ℎ𝑒𝑟𝑒 = 3 𝜋𝑟 3 )

Solution
𝑟 = (6.5 ± 0.20) 𝑐𝑚 = (6.50 ± 0.20) × 10−2 𝑚 = (0.065 ± 0.002) 𝑚
4 3
𝑣= 𝜋𝑟
3
4
= 𝜋 × (0.065 ± 0.002)3
3
4 0.002 0.002 0.002 4
= 𝜋 × 0.0653 ± ( + + ) ( 𝜋 × 0.0653 )
3 . 0065 . 0065 . 0065 3
= (0.0016 ± 0.0011) 𝑚3
3. A solid piece of lead has a mass of 23.94 g and a volume of 2.10 cm3.Calculate the density
in kilograms per cubic meter.

Solution
Mass = 23.94 x 10-3

Vol = 2.10 x

𝑚
𝜌=
𝑣

23.94𝑥10−3
=
2.10𝑥10−6

= 11400kg/m3

=1.14 x 104 kg/m3

 Memorandum

Tutorial Test 1B

1. Kinetic energy K has dimensions kg.m2/s2. It can be written in terms of the momentum p
and mass m as
𝜌2
𝐾=
2𝑚
Determine the proper dimension terms for momentum.

Solution
Consider dimensions in terms of their mks units. For kinetic energy K:

Solving for [p2] and [p] then gives

The dimension terms for momentum are MLT-1

2. A rectangular plate has a length of (21.3 ± 0.2) cm and a width of (9.8 ± 0.1) cm. Calculate
the area of the plate, including its uncertainty.

Solution
METHOD ONE: We treat the best value with its uncertainty as a binomial, (21.3
 0.2) cm × (9.8  0.1) cm, and obtain the area by expanding:

The first term gives the best value of the area. The cross terms add together to
give the uncertainty and the fourth term is negligible.

METHOD TWO: We add the fractional uncertainties in the data.

0.2 0.1
𝐴 = (21.3 𝑐𝑚)(9.8 𝑐𝑚) ± ( + ) (21.3 × 9.8)
21.3 9.8
= 209 𝑐𝑚2 ± 4 𝑐𝑚2
3. Two spheres are cut from a certain uniform rock. One has radius 4.50 cm. The mass of the
other is five times greater. Find its radius.

Solution

For either sphere the volume is and the mass is

We divide this equation for the larger sphere by the same equation for the smaller:
 Memorandum

Tutorial Test 1C

1. The term 1/2𝜌𝑣2 occurs in Bernoulli’s equation, with 𝜌 being the density of the fluid and v
its speed. What are the dimension terms?

Solution
𝑚𝑎𝑠𝑠
= × 𝑣2
𝑉𝑜𝑙
𝑚𝑎𝑠𝑠 𝐷𝑖𝑠𝑡𝑎𝑛𝑐𝑒
= ×
𝑉𝑜𝑙 𝑇𝑖𝑚𝑒

23.94𝑥10−3
=
2.10𝑥10−6

= Kg.m-3.m2.s-2

= Kg.m-1.s-2

= M.L-1.T-2

2. Suppose your hair grows at the rate 1/32 in. per day. Find the rate at which it grows in
nanometers per second. Because the distance between atoms in a molecule is on the order of
0.1 nm, your answer suggests how rapidly layers of atoms are assembled in this protein
synthesis. (1 in = 2.54 cm)

Solution
Apply the following conversion factors:
1 in = 2.54 cm 1 d = 86 400 s
100 cm = 1m 109 nm = 1 m.
Then, the rate of hair growth per second is
3. A woman wishing to know the height of a mountain measures the angle of elevation of the
mountaintop as 12.0°. After walking 1.00 km closer to the mountain on level ground, she
finds the angle to be 14.0°. Using a well labelled diagram, find the height y.

Solution

From the triangles,

𝑦
tan 14.0° = → 𝑦 = 𝑥 tan 14.0° (1)
𝑥
𝑦
tan 12.0° = → 𝑦 = (𝑥 + 1) tan 12.0° (2)
𝑥+1

Equating the two expressions for x

𝑥 tan 14.0° = (𝑥 + 1) tan 12.0°

𝑥 tan 14.0°
=(𝑥 + 1)
tan 12.0°

1.17𝑥 = 𝑥 + 1

𝑥 = 5.78 𝑚

Substituting for x in eq (1)

𝑦 = 𝑥 tan 14.0°

= 5.78 × tan 14.0°

= 1.44 𝑘𝑚
 Memorandum

Tutorial Test 1D

1. Newton’s law of universal gravitation is represented by

𝐺𝑀𝑚
𝐹= 2
𝑟
where F is the magnitude of the gravitational force exerted by one small object on another, M
and m are the masses of the objects, and r is a distance. Force has the SI units kg.m/s2. What
are the SI units of the proportionality constant G?

Solution
We substitute

into Newton’s law of universal gravitation to obtain

Solving for [G] then gives

2. The distance from the Sun to the nearest star is about 4 x 1016
m. The Milky Way galaxy (shown below) is roughly a disk of
diameter ~ 1021 m and thickness, 1019 m. Find the order of
magnitude of the number of stars in the Milky Way. Assume the
distance between the Sun and our nearest neighbor is typical.

Solution
The volume of the galaxy is

16
If the distance between stars is 4 × 10 , then there is one star in a volume on the order of

The number of stars is about

3. A woman stands at a horizontal distance x from mountain and measures the angle of
elevation of the mountain top to be 𝜃 above horizontal. After walking a distance d closer to the
mountain she measures anew angle of elevation as 𝜑. Derive an general expression for the
height of the mountain in terms of 𝑑, 𝑎𝑛𝑑 𝜑, neglecting the height of the woman’s eyes above
ground.

Solution