Converting Matter to Power: Calculating Mass for 3200W of Energy for 3 Days

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SUMMARY

The discussion focuses on calculating the mass of matter required to generate 3200W of power over a duration of 3 days using the equations P=E/t and E=mc². The initial calculation yielded an incorrect mass of 1.066X10-13 kg due to inconsistent unit usage. After correcting the time conversion to 259200 seconds, the accurate mass calculated is 9.216X10-9 kg. This highlights the importance of unit consistency in physics calculations.

PREREQUISITES
  • Understanding of the relationship between power, energy, and time (P=E/t)
  • Familiarity with Einstein's mass-energy equivalence (E=mc²)
  • Basic knowledge of unit conversions, particularly time (seconds)
  • Proficiency in algebraic manipulation of equations
NEXT STEPS
  • Study unit conversion techniques in physics, focusing on time and energy units
  • Explore advanced applications of Einstein's mass-energy equivalence in practical scenarios
  • Learn about the implications of power calculations in energy systems
  • Investigate common pitfalls in physics problem-solving, particularly in dimensional analysis
USEFUL FOR

Students in physics, educators teaching energy concepts, and anyone interested in the practical applications of mass-energy calculations.

Ethan_Tab
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Homework Statement


What mass of mater would be converted to energy to provide 3200W of Power for 3 days?

Homework Equations


P=E/t
E=mc2

The Attempt at a Solution


[/B]
E=P*t
Subbing mc2 for energy I get

mc2=P*t

m=P*t/c2

m=(3200W*3Days)/(9X1016m2/s2)

m= 1.066X10-13kg

This answer is incorrect.
What am I missing?
 
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What's the definition of a watt?

Have you used consistent units, or did you just throw all your numbers in a big churn and crank out a meaningless answer?
 
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I threw all my numbers in a big churn and cranked out a meaningless answer.

3 Days= 259200s

Doing the same calculation I get 9.216X10-9kg

Thank you :)
 

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