BENHA UNIVERSITY

Faculty of Computers and Information

Course Code: BSC 125 Course Title: Physics I

Dr/ Ahmad Taher

Assignment 1 Solution

1. Answer each question yes or no.

Must two quantities have the same dimensions?

(a) if you are adding them?
(b) If you are multiplying them?
(c) If you are subtracting them?
(d) If you are dividing them?
(e) If you are equating them?
Answer

(a) Yes. Three apples plus two jokes has no definable answer.
(b) No. One acre times one foot is one acre-foot, a quantity of floodwater.
(c) Yes. Three dollars minus six seconds has no definable answer.
(d) No. The gauge of a rich sausage can be 12 kg divided by 4 m, giving 3 kg/m.
(e) Yes, as in the examples given for parts (b) and (d). Thus we have (a) yes (b) no (c) yes (d) no
(e) yes
2. Which of the following equations are dimensionally correct?

(a) v f= vi + ax
(b) y = (2m) cos (kx) where k = 2 m-1
Answer

Conceptualize: It is good to check an unfamiliar equation for dimensional correctness to see whether it
can possibly be true.

Categorize: We evaluate the dimensions as a combination of length, time, and mass for each term in
each equation.

Analyze: (a) Write out dimensions for each quantity in the equation v f= vi + ax

The variables v f and v i are expressed in units of m/s, so that v f = v i = LT-1

The variable a is expressed in units of m/s2 and [a] = LT–2
The variable x is expressed in meters. Therefore [ax] = L2T–2
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Consider the right-hand member (RHM) of equation (a): [RHM] = LT–1 + L2T –2
Quantities to be added must have the same dimensions.
Therefore, equation (a) is not dimensionally correct.

b) Write out dimensions for each quantity in the equation y = (2m) cos (kx)
For y, [y] = L
For 2m, [2 m] = L and
For (kx), [kx] = [2m–1x] = L-1 L

Therefore we can think of the quantity kx as an angle in radians, and we can take its cosine. The cosine
itself will be a pure number with no dimensions. For the left-hand member (LHM) and the right-hand
member (RHM) of the equation we have

[LHM] = [y] = L
[RHM] = [2m][cos (kx)] = L These are the same, so equation (b) is dimensionally correct.

3. A solid piece of lead has a mass of 23.94 g and a volume of 2.10 cm3. From these data, calculate
the density of lead in SI units (kilograms per cubic meter).

Solution

Conceptualize:
From Table 14.1, the density of lead is 1.13 × 104 kg/m3, so we should expect our calculated value to
be close to this value. The density of water is 1.00 × 103 kg/m3, so we see that lead is about 11 times
denser than water, which agrees with our experience that lead sinks.

Categorize: Density is defined as ρ= m/V . We must convert to SI units in the calculation.

Analyze

4. One cubic meter (1.00 m3) of aluminum has a mass of 2.70 × 103 kg, and the same volume of
iron has a mass of 7.86 × 103 kg. Find the radius of a solid aluminum sphere that will balance a
solid iron sphere of radius 2.00 cm on an equal-arm balance.

Solution

Conceptualize:
The aluminum sphere must be larger in volume to compensate for its lower density. Its density is
roughly one-third as large, so we might guess that the radius is three times larger, or 6 cm.

Categorize: We require equal masses:

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Analyze: We use also the volume of a sphere. By substitution,

Now solving for the unknown,

Taking the cube root, r Al = 2 86 cm.

5. One gallon of paint (volume 5 3.78 × 10–3 m3) covers an area of 25.0 m2. What is the thickness
of the fresh paint on the wall?

Solution

Conceptualize: We assume the paint keeps the same volume in the can and on the wall.

Categorize: We model the film on the wall as a rectangular solid, with its volume given by its
“footprint” area, which is the area of the wall, multiplied by its thickness t perpendicular to this area
and assumed to be uniform.

Analyze

6. A pet lamb grows rapidly, with its mass proportional to the cube of its length. When the lamb’s
length changes by 15.8%, its mass increases by 17.3 kg. Find the lamb’s mass at the end of this
process.

Solution

Conceptualize: The little sheep’s final mass must be a lot more than 17 kg, so an order of magnitude
estimate is 100 kg.

Categorize: When the length changes by 15.8%, the mass changes by a much larger percentage. We
will write each of the sentences in the problem as a mathematical equation.

Analyze: Mass is proportional to length cubed: m = kl3 where k is a constant. This model of growth is
reasonable because the lamb gets thicker as it gets longer, growing in three- dimensional space.

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7. A high fountain of water is located at the center of a
circular pool as shown in Figure P1.7. A student walks
around the pool and measures its circumference to be
15.0 m. Next, the student stands at the edge of the pool
and uses a protractor to gauge the angle of elevation of
the top of the fountain to be f 5 55.0°. How high is the
fountain?

Solution

Conceptualize: Geometry was invented to make indirect distance

measurements, such as this one.

Categorize: We imagine a top view to figure the radius of the pool

from its circumference. We imagine a straight-on side view to use
trigonometry to find the height.

Analyze: Define a right triangle whose legs represent the height and
radius of the fountain. From the dimensions of the fountain and the triangle, the circumference is C =
2πpr and the angle satisfies tan φ = h / r.

Then by substitution

Evaluating

8. Assume there are 100 million passenger cars in the United States and the average fuel
consumption is 20 mi/gal of gasoline. If the average distance traveled by each car is 10 000 mi/yr,
how much gasoline would be saved per year if average fuel consumption could be increased to 25
mi/gal?

Solution

Conceptualize: Five miles per gallon is not much for one car, but a big country can save a lot of
gasoline.

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Categorize: We define an average national fuel consumption rate based upon the total miles driven by
all cars combined.

Analyze: In symbols,