Problem 12.1 The value of is 3.1415962654. . . . .

If
C is the circumference of a circle and r is its radius,
determine the value of r/C to four significant digits.

Solution:
C = 2 r

1
r
=
= 0.159154943.
C
2

To four significant digits we have

Problem 12.2 The base of natural logarithms is e =

2.718281828 . . .
(a)
(b)
(c)

Express e to five significant digits.

Determine the value of e2 to five significant digits.
Use the value of e you obtained in part (a) to determine the value of e2 to five significant digits.

r
= 0.1592
C

Solution: The value of e is: e = 2.718281828

(a)

To five significant figures e = 2.7183

(b)

e2 to five significant figures is e2 = 7.3891

(c)

Using the value from part (a) we find e2 = 7.3892 which is

not correct in the fifth digit.

[Part (c) demonstrates the hazard of using rounded-off

values in calculations.]
Problem 12.3 A machinist drills a circular hole in a
panel with a nominal radius r = 5 mm. The actual radius
of the hole is in the range r = 5 0.01 mm. (a) To what
number of significant digits can you express the radius?
(b) To what number of significant digits can you express
the area of the hole?

Solution:
(a)

Two: r = 5.0 mm
(b)

5 mm

The radius is in the range r1 = 4.99 mm to r2 = 5.01 mm. These

numbers are not equal at the level of three significant digits, but
they are equal if they are rounded off to two significant digits.

The area of the hole is in the range from A1 = r12 = 78.226 m2

to A2 = r22 = 78.854 m2 . These numbers are equal only if rounded
to one significant digit:
One: A = 80 mm2

Problem 12.4 The opening in the soccer goal is 25 ft

wide and 8 ft high, so its area is 24 ft 8 ft = 192 ft2 .
What is its area in m2 to three significant digits?

Solution:
A = 192 ft2

1m
3.281 ft

2
= 17.8 m2

A = 17.8 m2

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Problem 12.5 The Burj Dubai, scheduled for completion in 2008, will be the worlds tallest building with a
height of 705 m. The area of its ground footprint will be
8000 m2 . Convert its height and footprint area to U.S.
customary units to three significant digits.

Solution:

h = 705 m

3.281 ft
1m

A = 8000 m2


= 2.31 103 ft

3.218 ft
1m

h = 2.31 103 ft,

2
= 8.61 104 ft2

A = 8.61 104 ft2

Problem 12.6 Suppose that you have just purchased

a Ferrari F355 coupe and you want to know whether
you can use your set of SAE (U.S. Customary Units)
wrenches to work on it. You have wrenches with widths
w = 1/4 in, 1/2 in, 3/4 in, and 1 in, and the car has nuts
with dimensions n = 5 mm, 10 mm, 15 mm, 20 mm,
and 25 mm. Defining a wrench to fit if w is no more
than 2% larger than n, which of your wrenches can you
use?

Solution: Convert the metric size n to inches, and compute the

percentage difference between the metric sized nut and the SAE
wrench. The results are:


5 mm

1 inch
25.4 mm

= 0.19685.. in,


0.19685 0.25
100
0.19685
= 27.0%

10 mm


15 mm

n
20 mm

25 mm

1 inch
25.4 mm
1 inch
25.4 mm
1 inch
25.4 mm
1 inch
25.4 mm


0.3937 0.5
100 = 27.0%
0.3937


0.5905 0.5
100 = +15.3%
0.5905


0.7874 0.75
100 = +4.7%
0.7874


0.9843 1.0
100 = 1.6%
0.9843

= 0.3937.. in,

= 0.5905.. in,

= 0.7874.. in,

= 0.9843.. in,

A negative percentage implies that the metric nut is smaller than the
SAE wrench; a positive percentage means that the nut is larger then
the wrench. Thus within the definition of the 2% fit, the 1 in wrench
will fit the 25 mm nut. The other wrenches cannot be used.

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Problem 12.7 Suppose that the height of Mt. Everest

is known to be between 29,032 ft and 29,034 ft. Based
on this information, to how many significant digits can
you express the height (a) in feet? (b) in meters?

Solution:
(a) h1 = 29032 ft
h2 = 29034 ft
The two heights are equal if rounded off to four significant digits.
The fifth digit is not meaningful.
Four: h = 29,030 ft
(b)

In meters we have



1m
h1 = 29032 ft
= 8848.52 m
3.281 ft


h2 = 29034 ft

1m
3.281 ft


= 8849.13 m

These two heights are equal if rounded off to three significant

digits. The fourth digit is not meaningful.
Three: h = 8850 m

Problem 12.8 The maglev (magnetic levitation) train

from Shanghai to the airport at Pudong reaches a speed
of 430 km/h. Determine its speed (a) in mi/h; (b) ft/s.

Solution:
(a)
(b)


0.6214 mi
= 267 mi/h v = 267 mi/h
1 km







km 1000 m
1 ft
1h
v = 430
= 392 ft/s
h
1 km
0.3048 m
3600 s

v = 430

km
h

v = 392 ft/s

Problem 12.9 In the 2006 Winter Olympics, the mens

15-km cross-country skiing race was won by Andrus
Veerpalu of Estonia in a time of 38 minutes, 1.3 seconds.
Determine his average speed (the distance traveled divided by the time required) to three significant digits (a) in
km/h; (b) in mi/h.

Solution:



15 km
60 min

= 23.7 km/h v = 23.7 km/h
v=

1.3
1h
38 +
min
60



1 mi
(b) v = (23.7 km/h)
= 14.7 mi/h v = 14.7 mi/h
1.609 km
(a)

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Problem 12.10 The Porsches engine exerts 229 ft-lb

(foot-pounds) of torque at 4600 rpm. Determine the value
of the torque in N-m (Newton-meters).

Solution:
T = 229 ft-lb

1N
0.2248 lb



1m
3.281 ft


= 310 N-m

T = 310 N-m

Problem 12.11 The kinetic energy of the man in Active

Example 12.1 is defined by 12 mv 2 , where m is his mass
and v is his velocity. The mans mass is 68 kg and he
is moving at 6 m/s, so his kinetic energy is 12 (68 kg)
(6 m/s)2 = 1224 kg-m2 /s2 . What is his kinetic energy in
U.S. Customary units?

Solution:

Problem 12.12 The acceleration due to gravity at sea

level in SI units is g = 9.81 m/s2 . By converting units,
use this value to determine the acceleration due to gravity at sea level in U.S. Customary units.

Solution: Use Table 1.2. The result is:

Problem 12.13 A furlong per fortnight is a facetious

unit of velocity, perhaps made up by a student as a
satirical comment on the bewildering variety of units
engineers must deal with. A furlong is 660 ft (1/8 mile).
A fortnight is 2 weeks (14 nights). If you walk to class
at 2 m/s, what is your speed in furlongs per fortnight to
three significant digits?

Solution:

Problem 12.14 Determine the cross-sectional area of

the beam (a) in m2 ; (b) in in2 .

1 slug
14.59 kg



1 ft
0.3048 m

2
= 903 slug-ft2 /s

T = 903 slug-ft2 /s

g = 9.81

m

s2

v = 2 m/s

1 ft
0.3048 m

1 ft
0.3048 m

v = 12,000



= 32.185 . . .

1 furlong
660 ft



ft
s2

3600 s
hr

= 32.2



24 hr
1 day

ft
s2



14 day
1 fortnight

furlongs
fortnight

Solution:
A = (200 mm)2 2(80 mm)(120 mm) = 20800 mm2

y
(a)

40 mm
x

120 mm

T = 1224 kg-m2 /s2

(b)

2
1m
= 0.0208 m2 A = 0.0208 m2
1000 mm


2
1 in
A = 20800 mm2
= 32.2 in2 A = 32.2 in2
25.4 mm

A = 20800 mm2

40 mm
40
mm
200 mm

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to any prohibited reproduction, storage in a retrieval system, or transmission in any form or by any means, electronic, mechanical, photocopying, recording or likewise.

Problem 12.15 The cross-sectional area of the

C1230 American Standard Channel steel beam is A =
8.81 in2 . What is its cross-sectional area in mm2 ?

y
A

Solution:


A = 8.81 in2

25.4 mm
1 in

2
= 5680 mm2

Problem 12.16 A pressure transducer measures a value

of 300 lb/in2 . Determine the value of the pressure in
pascals. A pascal (Pa) is one newton per meter squared.

Solution: Convert the units using Table 12.2 and the definition of
the Pascal unit. The result:


300

lb



in

4.448 N
1 lb



= 2.0683 . . . (106 )

12 in
1 ft

N
m2

2

1 ft
0.3048 m

2


= 2.07(106 ) Pa

Problem 12.17 A horsepower is 550 ft-lb/s. A watt is

1 N-m/s. Determine how many watts are generated by
the engines of the passenger jet if they are producing
7000 horsepower.

Solution:
P = 7000 hp

550 ft-lb/s
1 hp



1m
3.281 ft



1N
0.2248 lb


= 5.22 106 W

P = 5.22 106 W

Problem 12.18 Distributed loads on beams are expressed in units of force per unit length. If the value of a
distributed load is 400 N/m, what is its value in lb/ft?.

Solution:
w = 400 N/m

0.2248 lb
1N



1m
3.281 ft


= 27.4 lb/ft

w = 27.4 lb/ft

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Problem 12.19 The moment of inertia of the rectangular area about the x axis is given by the equation
I = 13 bh3 .
The dimensions of the area are b = 200 mm and h =
100 mm. Determine the value of I to four significant
digits in terms of (a) mm4 ; (b) m4 ; (c) in4 .

Solution:
1
(200 mm)(100 mm)3 = 66.7 106 mm4
3

(a)

I=

(b)

I = 66.7 106 mm4

(c)

I = 66.7 106 mm4

1m
1000 mm

1 in
25.4 mm

4

= 66.7 106 m4

4
= 160 in4

x
b

Problem 12.20 In Example 12.3, instead of Einsteins

equation consider the equation L = mc, where the mass
m is in kilograms and the velocity of light c is in meters
per second. (a) What are the SI units of L? (b) If the
value of L in SI units is 12, what is the value in U.S.
Customay base units?

Solution:
(a)

L = mc Units(L) = kg-m/s

(b)

L = 12 kg-m/s

0.0685 slug
1 kg



3.281 ft
1m


= 2.70 slug-ft/s

L = 2.70 slug-ft/s

Problem 12.21 The equation

My
I
is used in the mechanics of materials to determine
normal stresses in beams.
=

(a)

When this equation is expressed in terms of SI base

units, M is in newton-meters (N-m), y is in meters
(m), and I is in meters to the fourth power (m4 ).
What are the SI units of ?
(b) If M = 2000 N-m, y = 0.1 m, and I = 7
105 m4 , what is the value of in U.S. Customary
base units?

Problem 12.22 The acceleration due to gravity on the

surface of the moon is 1.62 m/s2 . (a) What would be the
mass of the C-clamp in Active Example 12.4 be on the
surface of the moon? (b) What would the weight of the
C-clamp in newtons be on the surface of the moon?

Solution:
(a)

(N-m)m
My
N
=
= 2
I
m4
m

(2000 N-m)(0.1 m)
My
=
I
7 105 m4

(b)

= 59,700

1 lb
4.448 N

0.3048 m
ft

2

lb
ft2

Solution:
(a)

The mass does not depend on location. The mass in kg is


14.59 kg
0.0272 slug
= 0.397 kg mass = 0.397 kg
1 slug

(b)

The weight on the surface of the moon is

W = mg = (0.397 kg)(1.62 m/s2 ) = 0.643 N



W = 0.643 N

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Problem 12.23 The 1 ft 1 ft 1 ft cube of iron

weighs 490 lb at sea level. Determine the weight in newtons of a 1 m 1 m 1 m cube of the same material
at sea level.
Solution: The weight density is =
The weight of the 1


W = V =

m3

490 lb
1 ft3

1 ft

490 lb
1 ft3

(1 m)3

1 ft

1 ft

cube is:
1 ft
0.3048 m

3

1N
0.2248 lb


= 77.0 kN

Problem 12.24 The area of the Pacific Ocean is

64,186,000 square miles and its average depth is 12,925 ft.
Assume that the weight per unit volume of ocean water
is 64 lb/ft3 . Determine the mass of the Pacific Ocean
(a) in slugs; (b) in kilograms.

Solution: The volume of the ocean is

V = (64,186,000 mi2 )(12,925 ft)

64 lb/ft3

2
= 2.312 1019 ft3

(a)

m = V =

(b)

m = (4.60 1019 slugs)

32.2 ft/s2

(2.312 1019 f t 3 ) = 4.60 1019 slugs

Problem 12.25 The acceleration due to gravity at

sea level is g = 9.81 m/s2 . The radius of the earth
is 6370 km. The universal gravitational constant is
G = 6.67 1011 N-m2 /kg2 . Use this information to
determine the mass of the earth.

5,280 ft
1 mi

14.59 kg
1 slug

Solution: Use Eq. (12.3) a =


= 6.71 1020 kg

GmE
. Solve for the mass,
R2


m 2
(9.81 m/s2 )(6370 km)2 103
gR 2
km
=
mE =



G
N-m2
6.67(1011 )
kg2
= 5.9679 . . . (1024 ) kg = 5.97(1024 ) kg

Problem 12.26 A person weighs 800 N sea level.

The radius of the earth is 6372 km. What force is exerted
on the person by the gravitational attraction of the earth
if he is in a space station in orbit 322 km above the
surface of the earth?

Solution: Use Eq. (12.5).

W = mg

RE
r

2
=

WE
g



g

RE
RE + H

2
= WE

6372
6372 + 322

2

= (80 0)(0.9519 ) = 262 N

Problem 12.27 The acceleration due to gravity on the

surface of the moon is 1.62 m/s2 . The moons radius is
RM = 1738 km.
(a)
(b)

What is the weight in newtons on the surface of

the moon of an object that has a mass of 10 kg?
Using the approach described in Example 12.5, determine the force exerted on the object by the gravity of the moon if the object is located 1738 km
above the moons surface.

Solution:
W = mgM = (10 kg)(1.26 m/s2 ) = 12.6 N W = 12.6 N



RM 2
(b) Adapting equation 1.4 we have aM = gM
. The force is
r
then


2
1738 km
F = maM = (10 kg)(1.62m/s2 )
= 4.05 N
1738 km + 1738 km
F = 4.05 N
(a)

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Problem 12.28 If an object is near the surface of the

earth, the variation of its weight with distance from the
center of the earth can often be neglected. The acceleration due to gravity at sea level is g = 9.81 m/s2 . The
radius of the earth is 6370 km. The weight of an object
at sea level is mg, where m is its mass. At what height
above the earth does the weight of the object decrease
to 0.99 mg?

Solution: Use a variation of Eq. (12.5).

W = mg

RE
RE + h

2
= 0.99 mg

Solve for the radial height,

h = RE


1
1 = (6370)(1.0050378 1.0)

0.99

= 32.09 . . . km = 32,100 m = 32.1 km

Problem 12.29 The planet Neptune has an equatorial

diameter of 49,532 km and its mass is 1.0247 1026 kg.
If the planet is modeled as a homogeneous sphere, what
is the acceleration due to gravity at its surface? (The universal gravitational constant is G = 6.67 1011 h-m2 /
kg2 .)

Solution:
mN
m N m  mN 
We have: W = G 2 = G 2 m gN = G 2
r
rN
rN
Note that the radius of Neptune is rN = 12 (49,532 km)
= 24,766 km




N-m2
1.0247 1026 kg
Thus gN = 6.67 1011
(24766 km)2
kg2



1 km 2
= 11.1 m/s2

1000 m
gN = 11.1 m/s2

Problem 12.30 At a point between the earth and the

moon, the magnitude of the force exerted on an object
by the earths gravity equals the magnitude of the force
exerted on the object by the moons gravity. What is
the distance from the center of the earth to that point
to three significant digits? The distance from the center
of the earth to the center of the moon is 383,000 km,
and the radius of the earth is 6370 km. The radius of the
moon is 1738 km, and the acceleration due to gravity at
its surface is 1.62 m/s2 .

Solution: Let rEp be the distance from the Earth to the point where
the gravitational accelerations are the same and let rMp be the distance
from the Moon to that point. Then, rEp + rMp = rEM = 383,000 km.
The fact that the gravitational attractions by the Earth and the Moon
at this point are equal leads to the equation


gE

RE
rEp

2

= gM

RM
rMp

2
,

where rEM = 383,000 km. Substituting the correct numerical values

leads to the equation

9.81

 m 
1738 km 2
 m 
6370 km 2
= 1.62 2
,
2
s
rEp
s
rEM rEp

where rEp is the only unknown. Solving, we get rEp = 344,770 km =

345,000 km.

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to any prohibited reproduction, storage in a retrieval system, or transmission in any form or by any means, electronic, mechanical, photocopying, recording or likewise.