GUC

Physics Department
Sheet 1 Problems (SP1) Units and Dimensions
SP1.1.The mass density (also called just "density") of a substance is the ratio of its mass
in kilograms to its volume in cubic meters. A piece of lead of mass 11.97 g has a volume
of 1.05 m3. Determine the density of lead in SI units.
Solution
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------SP1.2. The airline distance between two cities is 3469 mi. Express this distance in
kilometers.
Solution
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------SP 1.3 A person is 5 ft 8 in tall. Express this height in meters.
Solution
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SP 1.4 On many interstate highways the speed limit is now 70 mi/h. Express this in
kilometers per hour, miles per second, and feet per second.
Solution
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------SP 1.5 A room is 16 ft 6 in long by 12 ft 4 in wide and has a ceiling height of 8 ft 0 in.
What is the volume of the room in cubic feet and in cubic meters?
Solution
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------SP 1.6 The radius of the sun is 7.0 x 108 m, and its mass is 2.0 x 1030 kg. What is the
density of the sun (density = mass / volume)! The density of water is 1000 km/m3. What
is the ratio of the sun's density to that of water?
Solution
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------SP 1.7 A cord is a volume of cut wood 8 ft long, 4 ft high, and 4 ft wide. Express this
volume in cubic meters.
Solution
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SP 1.8 Determine if the dimensions in each of the following equations are consistent. See
the definitions of symbols in the given rectangle to the right.

Solution
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------SP 1.9 The position of a particle moving under uniform acceleration is some function of
time and the acceleration. Suppose we write this position s = kamtn, where k is a
dimensionless constant. Show by dimensional analysis that this expression is satisfied if
m = 1 and n = 2. Can this analysis give the value of k?
Solution
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SP 1.10 Which of the following equations are dimensionally correct?

(a) vf = vi + ax
(b) y = (2 m)cos(kx), where k = 2 m1.
Solution
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------SP 1.11 Newtons law of universal gravitation is represented by

GMm
r2

Here F is 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 kgm/s2. What are the SI
units of the proportionality constant G?
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------SP 1.12 Assume that an object covers an area A and has a uniform height h. If its crosssectional area is uniform over its height, then its volume is given by V = Ah. (a) Show
that V = Ah is dimensionally correct. (b) Show that the volumes of a cylinder and of a
rectangular box can be written in the form V = Ah, identifying A in each case. (Note that
A, sometimes called the "footprint" of the object, can have any shape and the height can
be replaced by average thickness in general.)
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SP 1.13 (a) A fundamental law of motion states that the acceleration of an object is
directly proportional to the resultant force exerted on the object and inversely
proportional to its mass. If the proportionality constant is defined to have no
dimensions, determine the dimensions of force. (b) The newton is the SI unit of force.
According to the results for (a), how can you express a force having units of newtons
using the fundamental units of mass, length, and time?
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