Cody Dennison

08/27/2014
Physics 151 Homework for Unit 1: Introduction & Computing Fall 2014

Problem 1 In America, we measure fuel efficiency of our cars by

citing the number of miles you can drive on one gallon of gas
(mi/gal). In Europe, the same information is given by quoting how
many liters of gas it takes to go 100 km (l/100 km).

a. My current car gets 21 mi/gal in highway travel. What number

(in li/100 km) should I give to my Swedish friend so that he can
compare it to his Volvo?

One gal = 3.786 liters, 1mi = 1.609km, the equation I used is (100 x
liters per gallon) / (km per mile x mpg) (100 x 3.786li) / (1.609km x
21mpg) = 11.2 liters per 100km

b. b. The car I drove in England last summer needed 6 liters of

gas to go 100 km. How many mi/gal did it get?

The equation I used is mpg= (100xliters per gallon) / (km per mile x
liters per 100 km)
(100 x 3.786liters) / (1.609km x 6 liters) = 39.2 mpg

c. c. If my car has a fuel efficiency, f, in miles/gallon, what is its

European efficiency, e, in liters/100 km?

My car gets 30 mpg so its European efficiency is 7.84 liters per

100km

Equation: liters per 100km= (100 x liters per gallon) / (km per mile x
miles per gallon)

(100 3.786) / (1.609 x 30) = 7.84 liters per 100km

 - Answer Explanation
This question is related to 1.3.1 part B in the activity guide, in
this problem we learn how to convert meters per second into mph,
and this is very similar in the way that we convert mpg into liters
per 100km. This is important to know and understand because a lot
of the time units have to be converted to complete a problem or
compare stats.

Problem 2 A silicon chip has an area of 1.25 square inches. Express

this in square centimeters. Show your work.
8.065cm square
This problem is directly related to 1.3.1 in the activity guide. This is all
used to show how you can convert units into other units and have it mean
the same.

Problem 3 A structural I-beam is made of steel. A view of its cross-

sectional area and its dimensions is shown below. What is the mass
of a section 1.5 m long? The density of steel is approximately 7.86
g/cm3.
Answer Explanation
- This question is related to AG 1.3.1 because you use formulas
to convert units into other units. For example when you
convert grams into Kg. or meters into cm. I have already seen
how this is important to know how to do since so many
problems or equations have to first be converted into the same
units in order to complete the problem.
Problem 4 Create a spreadsheet with the combined class data in
Activity 1.5.1 and complete exercises (a) through (d) by following
the procedures outlined in Appendix A of the Workshop Physics
Activity Guide.
- This question is directly related to AG 1.5.1. We used the
information gathered from the experiment in class we did then
used excel on the computer to make a spreadsheet. During this
homework lesson I learned how to effectively use the computer
to calculate my Max, Min, and Average, this is important to
know sine we will be entering a lot of info into charts similar to
this.

a. Use the computer spreadsheet average, max, and min functions to find
the average, minimum and maximum pitching speeds for the class. (HINT:
You will need to learn to use spreadsheet
functions to do this.) Be sure to format the spreadsheet cells to give you two
decimal places for each of your calculations.
b. Sort the data columns so that they lie in order from the lowest to the
highest pitching speed.
c. Name the file using your name, save it on your disk or on your H: drive
and email me your spreadsheet.
d. Print a copy of your spreadsheet and attach it to your completed
homework.

Problem 5 a. Make a data table showing the times and distances you
recorded in Activity 1.6.1 and re-sketch the data points on a graph
like that shown in Activity 1.7.1a.

Time Distance
(s) (m)
0.00 0.0
0.76 2.0
1.75 4.0
2.39 6.0
3.51 8.0
 Distance (m)
9.0
8.0
7.0
6.0
5.0
4.0
3.0
2.0
1.0
0.0
0.00 0.50 1.00 1.50 2.00 2.50 3.00 3.50 4.00

b. Use a ruler to draw a straight line that passes as close as possible to the
data points you have graphed.
c. Using methods you were taught in algebra, calculate the value of the
slope, m, and find the value of the intercept, b, of the line you have sketched
through the data. Note: You may want to consult Appendix E of the
Workshop physics Activity Guide (pp. A-27 and A-28).
Problem 6 Create a mathematical model of the bowling ball motion
data you collected in Activity 1.6.1. This project requires you to find
what you think is the best value of the slope, m, and the y-
intercept, b, for the computer graph you printed out in Activity
1.7.1b. You should:

- Explanation this question is related back to AG 1.7.1 because it is

learning how to graph distance vs time and how to properly use excel.
In this question I learned about the best fit line which was 2.5 which is
my slope distance over time, then by hand calculations I found the
average speed of the ball which is still my slope due to distance over
time which came out to be 2.4m/s. So in conclusion I learned that with
finding the slope you can predict what can happen.

Problem 7 the graphs below represent possible functional

relationships between time, t, and the position, x, of an object.

- This question is related to AG 1.8 because it compares the

relationship between x and t which is your slope. So the
important thing I learned from this problem is being able to
determine what the slope is doing, if its linear or proportional.
This is also shown in AG 1.8 where it shows distance and time
as a measurement or speed.