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| Derivation or Formula | Reasoning |
|---|---|
| \[W_{\text{air}} = \rho_{\text{rock}} V g\] | This is the full weight of the rock in air, where \(\rho_{\text{rock}}\) is the rock density, \(V\) is its volume, and \(g\) is gravitational acceleration. |
| \[W_{\text{water}} = \rho_{\text{rock}}Vg – \rho_{\text{water}}Vg\] | The apparent weight when submerged is the true weight minus the buoyant force, which equals the weight of the displaced water \((\rho_{\text{water}}Vg)\). |
| \[\rho_{\text{rock}}Vg – \rho_{\text{water}}Vg = \tfrac{1}{2}\,\rho_{\text{rock}}Vg\] | The problem states the rock weighs twice as much in air as in water, so \(W_{\text{water}} = \tfrac{1}{2}W_{\text{air}}\). Substitute \(W_{\text{air}}\) above. |
| \[\rho_{\text{rock}} – \rho_{\text{water}} = \tfrac{1}{2}\,\rho_{\text{rock}}\] | Canceling the common factors \(Vg\) from both sides simplifies the equation. |
| \[2\,\rho_{\text{rock}} – 2\,\rho_{\text{water}} = \rho_{\text{rock}}\] | Multiply both sides by 2 to clear the fraction. |
| \[\rho_{\text{rock}} = 2\,\rho_{\text{water}}\] | Solve for \(\rho_{\text{rock}}\) by subtracting \(\rho_{\text{rock}}\) from both sides. |
| \[\rho_{\text{rock}} = 2 \times 1000\,\text{kg/m}^3 = \boxed{2000\,\text{kg/m}^3}\] | Assuming the density of water is \(1000\,\text{kg/m}^3\), the rock density becomes \(2000\,\text{kg/m}^3\) (to 3 significant figures). |
| Derivation or Formula | Reasoning |
|---|---|
| \[\rho_{\text{avg}} = p\,\rho_{\text{quartz}} + (1-p)\times0 = p\,\rho_{\text{quartz}}\] | The rock is part solid quartz and part hollow (air). Since the density of air is negligible, \(\rho_{\text{avg}}\) is just the fraction \(p\) of quartz times the density of quartz \(\rho_{\text{quartz}}\). |
| \[p = \tfrac{\rho_{\text{avg}}}{\rho_{\text{quartz}}}\] | Solve for \(p\) (the fraction that is solid quartz) using the average density, which we determined as \(2000\,\text{kg/m}^3\), and the given quartz density \(2660\,\text{kg/m}^3\). |
| \[p = \tfrac{2000}{2660} \approx 0.752\] | Calculate \(p\) to determine the fraction of the rock that is quartz. |
| \[\text{Percentage hollow} = (1-p) \times 100\% \approx (1-0.752) \times 100\% \approx \boxed{24.8\%}\] | The remainder of the rock (\(1-p\)) is hollow. Converting to a percentage gives about 24.8\% hollow, to 3 significant figures. |
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The \( 70 \) \( \text{kg} \) student in the figure balances a \( 1200 \) \( \text{kg} \) elephant on a hydraulic lift. Assume that it is filled with oil, which is incompressible and has a density \( \rho = 900 \) \( \text{kg/m}^3 \). What is the diameter of the piston the student is standing on? Assume each piston has a cylindrical shape, i.e., a circular cross-sectional area. Note: The two pistons are at the same height. Also, the diameter of the wider piston is given in the figure to be \( 2.0 \) \( \text{m} \).
Johnny the auto mechanic is raising a \( 1200 \) \( \text{kg} \) car on her hydraulic lift so that she can work underneath. If the area of the input piston is \( 12 \) \( \text{cm}^2 \), while the output piston has an area of \( 700 \) \( \text{cm}^2 \), what force must be exerted on the input piston to lift the car?
A cylindrical tank of water (height \( H \)) is punctured at a height \( h \) above the bottom. How far from the base of the tank will the water stream land (in terms of \( h \) and \( H \))? What must the value of \( h \) be such that the distance at which the stream lands will be equal to \( H \)?
A cube of side length \( s \) rests on the bottom surface of a container of fluid. The fluid is at a height \( y \) above the bottom of the tank. The fluid has density \( \rho \) and the atmospheric pressure is \( P_{\text{atm}} \).
Which of the following expressions is equal to the absolute pressure exerted by the fluid on the top surface of the cube?
A fountain with an opening of radius \( 0.015 \) \( \text{m} \) shoots a stream of water vertically from ground level at \( 6.0 \) \( \text{m/s} \). The density of water is \( 1000 \) \( \text{kg/m}^3 \).
Ben’s favorite ride at the Barrel-O-Fun Amusement Park is the Flying Umbrella, which is lifted by a hydraulic jack. The operator activates the ride by applying a force of \( 72 \) \( \text{N} \) to a \( 3.0 \) \( \text{cm} \) wide cylindrical piston, which holds the \( 20,000 \) \( \text{N} \) ride off the ground. What is the diameter of the piston that holds the ride?
The difference in pressure between the atmosphere and the human lungs is \( 1.05 \times 10^5 \) \( \text{Pa} \). What is the longest straw you could use to draw up milk whose density is \( 1030 \) \( \text{kg/m}^3 \)?
A drinking fountain projects water at an initial angle of \( 50^ \circ \) above the horizontal, and the water reaches a maximum height of \( 0.150 \) \( \text{m} \) above the point of exit. Assume air resistance is negligible.
Balsa wood with an average density of \( 130 \) \( \text{kg/m}^3 \), is floating in pure water. What percentage of the wood is submerged?

Alcohol has a specific gravity of \( 0.79 \). If a barometer consisting of an open-ended tube placed in a dish of alcohol is used at sea level, to what height in the tube will the alcohol rise?
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| Kinematics | Forces |
|---|---|
| \(\Delta x = v_i t + \frac{1}{2} at^2\) | \(F = ma\) |
| \(v = v_i + at\) | \(F_g = \frac{G m_1 m_2}{r^2}\) |
| \(v^2 = v_i^2 + 2a \Delta x\) | \(f = \mu N\) |
| \(\Delta x = \frac{v_i + v}{2} t\) | \(F_s =-kx\) |
| \(v^2 = v_f^2 \,-\, 2a \Delta x\) |
| Circular Motion | Energy |
|---|---|
| \(F_c = \frac{mv^2}{r}\) | \(KE = \frac{1}{2} mv^2\) |
| \(a_c = \frac{v^2}{r}\) | \(PE = mgh\) |
| \(T = 2\pi \sqrt{\frac{r}{g}}\) | \(KE_i + PE_i = KE_f + PE_f\) |
| \(W = Fd \cos\theta\) |
| Momentum | Torque and Rotations |
|---|---|
| \(p = mv\) | \(\tau = r \cdot F \cdot \sin(\theta)\) |
| \(J = \Delta p\) | \(I = \sum mr^2\) |
| \(p_i = p_f\) | \(L = I \cdot \omega\) |
| Simple Harmonic Motion | Fluids |
|---|---|
| \(F = -kx\) | \(P = \frac{F}{A}\) |
| \(T = 2\pi \sqrt{\frac{l}{g}}\) | \(P_{\text{total}} = P_{\text{atm}} + \rho gh\) |
| \(T = 2\pi \sqrt{\frac{m}{k}}\) | \(Q = Av\) |
| \(x(t) = A \cos(\omega t + \phi)\) | \(F_b = \rho V g\) |
| \(a = -\omega^2 x\) | \(A_1v_1 = A_2v_2\) |
| Constant | Description |
|---|---|
| [katex]g[/katex] | Acceleration due to gravity, typically [katex]9.8 , \text{m/s}^2[/katex] on Earth’s surface |
| [katex]G[/katex] | Universal Gravitational Constant, [katex]6.674 \times 10^{-11} , \text{N} \cdot \text{m}^2/\text{kg}^2[/katex] |
| [katex]\mu_k[/katex] and [katex]\mu_s[/katex] | Coefficients of kinetic ([katex]\mu_k[/katex]) and static ([katex]\mu_s[/katex]) friction, dimensionless. Static friction ([katex]\mu_s[/katex]) is usually greater than kinetic friction ([katex]\mu_k[/katex]) as it resists the start of motion. |
| [katex]k[/katex] | Spring constant, in [katex]\text{N/m}[/katex] |
| [katex] M_E = 5.972 \times 10^{24} , \text{kg} [/katex] | Mass of the Earth |
| [katex] M_M = 7.348 \times 10^{22} , \text{kg} [/katex] | Mass of the Moon |
| [katex] M_M = 1.989 \times 10^{30} , \text{kg} [/katex] | Mass of the Sun |
| Variable | SI Unit |
|---|---|
| [katex]s[/katex] (Displacement) | [katex]\text{meters (m)}[/katex] |
| [katex]v[/katex] (Velocity) | [katex]\text{meters per second (m/s)}[/katex] |
| [katex]a[/katex] (Acceleration) | [katex]\text{meters per second squared (m/s}^2\text{)}[/katex] |
| [katex]t[/katex] (Time) | [katex]\text{seconds (s)}[/katex] |
| [katex]m[/katex] (Mass) | [katex]\text{kilograms (kg)}[/katex] |
| Variable | Derived SI Unit |
|---|---|
| [katex]F[/katex] (Force) | [katex]\text{newtons (N)}[/katex] |
| [katex]E[/katex], [katex]PE[/katex], [katex]KE[/katex] (Energy, Potential Energy, Kinetic Energy) | [katex]\text{joules (J)}[/katex] |
| [katex]P[/katex] (Power) | [katex]\text{watts (W)}[/katex] |
| [katex]p[/katex] (Momentum) | [katex]\text{kilogram meters per second (kgm/s)}[/katex] |
| [katex]\omega[/katex] (Angular Velocity) | [katex]\text{radians per second (rad/s)}[/katex] |
| [katex]\tau[/katex] (Torque) | [katex]\text{newton meters (Nm)}[/katex] |
| [katex]I[/katex] (Moment of Inertia) | [katex]\text{kilogram meter squared (kgm}^2\text{)}[/katex] |
| [katex]f[/katex] (Frequency) | [katex]\text{hertz (Hz)}[/katex] |
Metric Prefixes
Example of using unit analysis: Convert 5 kilometers to millimeters.
Start with the given measurement: [katex]\text{5 km}[/katex]
Use the conversion factors for kilometers to meters and meters to millimeters: [katex]\text{5 km} \times \frac{10^3 \, \text{m}}{1 \, \text{km}} \times \frac{10^3 \, \text{mm}}{1 \, \text{m}}[/katex]
Perform the multiplication: [katex]\text{5 km} \times \frac{10^3 \, \text{m}}{1 \, \text{km}} \times \frac{10^3 \, \text{mm}}{1 \, \text{m}} = 5 \times 10^3 \times 10^3 \, \text{mm}[/katex]
Simplify to get the final answer: [katex]\boxed{5 \times 10^6 \, \text{mm}}[/katex]
Prefix | Symbol | Power of Ten | Equivalent |
|---|---|---|---|
Pico- | p | [katex]10^{-12}[/katex] | 0.000000000001 |
Nano- | n | [katex]10^{-9}[/katex] | 0.000000001 |
Micro- | µ | [katex]10^{-6}[/katex] | 0.000001 |
Milli- | m | [katex]10^{-3}[/katex] | 0.001 |
Centi- | c | [katex]10^{-2}[/katex] | 0.01 |
Deci- | d | [katex]10^{-1}[/katex] | 0.1 |
(Base unit) | – | [katex]10^{0}[/katex] | 1 |
Deca- or Deka- | da | [katex]10^{1}[/katex] | 10 |
Hecto- | h | [katex]10^{2}[/katex] | 100 |
Kilo- | k | [katex]10^{3}[/katex] | 1,000 |
Mega- | M | [katex]10^{6}[/katex] | 1,000,000 |
Giga- | G | [katex]10^{9}[/katex] | 1,000,000,000 |
Tera- | T | [katex]10^{12}[/katex] | 1,000,000,000,000 |
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