EGEE 101H, Homework #1 Unit Conversions

January 23, 2014

Qishen Xu
Due on Thursday, January 30 by electronic submission to the HW1 drop box, by 11:59 p.m.
Submit, MS Excel, MS Word, or pdf. Scanned copies of handwritten pages are not acceptable.
Each question is worth 12.5 pts.
1. Calculate the work done (in Joules) by a 75-kilora! wo!an to cli!b to the top o" #ount E$erest
(2%&'2( "eet)) (Con$ersion "actors you need to sol$e this proble!* 1 !eter+ ,.2( "eet& -ra$itational
.cceleration +%.( !/sec/sec. 0ote that work + "orce 1 distance& and "orce + !ass 1 ra$itational
acceleration)
W=F*S=mg*s=75*9.8*(29028/3.28) = 6504750Joules
2. 2hat is the enery equi$alent o" the work done in 3uestion 1 in slices o" pi44a) (Con$ersion "actors
you need to sol$e this proble!* Enery content o" one slice o" pi44a + 2%' Calories and 1 Calorie +
5&1(5 Joules) Co!!ent brie"ly on why your answer (which is ther!odyna!ically correct) is not really
the riht answer.
6504750/4184/290=5.3 pieces
ec!use ("#e$m!l e%e$g&) #e!' !%( )o$* (+ec#!%ic!l e%e$g&) !$e i% (i,,e$e%' c!'ego$&. "#e
-u!li'& o, #e!' is lo)e$ '#!% '#e )o$*. so '#e #e!' mus' s!c$i,ice p!$' o, '#e e%e$g& 'o co%/e$' i%'o
)o$*.
,. .nnual per capita enery consu!ption in the 6.7. is appro1i!ately ,5' !illion 8tu. Calculate how
!any pounds o" coal would ha$e the equi$alent a!ount o" enery (9he $alue o" a typical coal is 1,&'''
8tu/lb).
350000000/13000=26923.07 pou%(s
5. 9he wattae o" a typical color 9: is ,'' (i.e.& it uses ,'' watts o" electric power). ;" one kilowatt-
hour o" electricity costs < cents& how !uch does it cost to watch 9: "or , hours) (1 kilowatt + 1'''
watts).
300*3*6/1000=5.4 ce%'s
5. 9he speed o" liht is appro1i!ately ,''&''' kilo!eters/second& and the distance "ro! the sun to the
earth is appro1i!ately 15'&'''&''' kilo!eters. =ow lon (in !inutes) does the solar radiation take to
reach the earth)
"ime=0is'!%ce/spee(=150000000/300000/60=8.33mi%u'es
<. .n ele$ator needs a power o" 1' k2 to run s!oothly. Calculate its power in units o" horsepower.
10000/746=13.404 #o$sepo)e$
7. . typical adult in 6.7. con$erts 2''' Calories o" "ood enery per day. Calculate the a$erae
!etabolic power o" an adult& assu!in that the enery is con$erted e$enly throuhout the day (25
hours). (>ou know that this assu!ption is not true. ?ne con$erts& "or e1a!ple& !uch less enery by
sleepin than by walkin or runnin).
2000*1055/0.252/ (24*60*60) = 96.90)!''s
(. Calculate how !any kilora!s o" carbon dio1ide (C?
2
) are produced when one kilora! o" natural
as (i.e.& !ethane& C=
5
) is burnt co!pletely to carbon dio1ide and water.
C=
5
@2?
2
C?
2
@2=
2
?@ 1'''8tu
1000/ (1214)*(12116*2)=2750g=2.75*g