PO4A TUTORIAL #1 - 2009

Please Note: Information for Question #4 will be covered in the next Heat lecture
(September 16, 2009)

1. The following are dimensions of various physical parameters. Here [L], [T], and
[M] denote, respectively, dimensions of length, time, and mass.
Dimension Dimension
Distance (x) [L] Acceleration (a) [L]/[T]2
Time (t) [T] Force (F) [M] [L] / [T]2
Mass (m) [M] Energy (E) [M] [L]2 /[T]2
Speed (v) [L] / [T]

Which of the following equations are dimensionally correct?

(a) F = ma (d) E = max

(b) x = ½ at 3 (e) v = √(Fx/m)

(c) E = ½ mv
Answer: A) correct, B) not, C) not, D) correct, E) correct

2 A liquid having small depth, but large volume, is forced by an applied pressure P
(pressure = force/area) above it to escape with speed v through a small hole
below. The speed v is given by, v = C Px ρy , where ρ is the density of the liquid
and C, x, and y are dimensionless constants.
(i) Determine x and y using dimensional analysis
(ii) If v = 14 ms-1 when P = 1.0 x 105 N/m2 and ρ = 1000 kg/m-3, find C
Answers: x = ½, y = -1/2; C = 1.4

3. Consider the equation v = 1/3 z x t2. The dimensions of the variables x, v, and t
are [L], [L]/[T], and [T], respectively. What must be the dimensions of the variable
z, such that both sides of the equation have the same dimensions?
Show how you determined your answer.

4. (a) Space invaders land on earth. On the invaders’ temperature scale, the ice
point is at 15°I (I represents invaders’ scale) and the steam point is at 165°I.
The invaders’ thermometer shows the temperature on earth to be 42°I.
(i) What would be the earths’ temperature on the Celsius scale? And,
(ii) Kelvin scale?
(b) An electrical resistance thermometer is made from platinum wire.
The electrical resistance (measured in a unit called the ohm) changes from
0.40 ohms when the wire is at 0.00oC to a value of 0.68 ohms when the wire
is heated to 100.0°C. Assume that the resistance varies linearly with
temperature. What would be the resistance when the temperature is 25oC?

Answers: (a) (i) 18°C, (ii) 291.15 K ;(b) 0.47 ohms