Calculating the Volume of Spheres with Different Radii

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Homework Help Overview

The discussion revolves around calculating the volume of spheres, specifically focusing on a sphere with a radius of 5.0 m and the volume of air surrounding the Earth, which involves a radius of 6400 km plus an atmospheric layer of 10 km.

Discussion Character

  • Exploratory, Assumption checking, Conceptual clarification

Approaches and Questions Raised

  • Participants explore the formula for the volume of a sphere and question its application to specific problems. There is an attempt to clarify the process of finding the volume of the Earth and the atmosphere by considering two spheres and their respective volumes.

Discussion Status

Some participants have provided the formula for the volume of a sphere and suggested methods for calculating the volumes in the given problems. There is an ongoing exploration of how to apply the formula correctly and what assumptions need to be reconsidered, particularly regarding the second problem.

Contextual Notes

Participants express uncertainty about the formula for the volume of a sphere and the steps needed to solve the problems, indicating a need for clarification on the mathematical concepts involved.

Revolver
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What is the formula? I have two problems:

1. What is the volume of a sphere with a radius of 5.0 m?

My initial guess was 5^3 = 125, but apparently the answer is 523.6.

2. The radius of the Earth is 6400 km. If the atmosphere is approximately 10 km high, then what is the volume of air around the earth?

Ok to be honest, I have no idea. I assume you find the volume of the earth, then the volume of a sphere with radius 10 km, and subtract the two... but that goes back to me not knowing the formula of volume of a sphere :D
 
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Revolver said:
What is the formula? I have two problems:

1. What is the volume of a sphere with a radius of 5.0 m?

My initial guess was 5^3 = 125, but apparently the answer is 523.6.
[/quote\\]
v= \frac{4 \pi r^3}{3}
2. The radius of the Earth is 6400 km. If the atmosphere is approximately 10 km high, then what is the volume of air around the earth?

Ok to be honest, I have no idea. I assume you find the volume of the earth, then the volume of a sphere with radius 10 km, and subtract the two... but that goes back to me not knowing the formula of volume of a sphere :D

You might want to rethink that second one.
 
OK, the general formula for the volume of a sphere is V=(4/3)pi(r^3), where r=radius and pi=3.14 approx.
Question 1 you just have to simply substitute r=5 into the equation. For Question 2 you find the volume of the Earth plus the atmosphere together, having a radius of 6500km, and subtract from this the volume of the Earth alone, where r=6400km. Hopefully that helps.
 
It's two spheres but the larger one is the one that includes the atmosphere it would be (6400 + 10)Km and the smaller one would Earth's 6400 km radius to ground.
 

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