Probably a very novice question

  • Thread starter Thread starter Katchit
  • Start date Start date
Click For Summary

Homework Help Overview

The discussion revolves around understanding the concept of density in physics, specifically addressing a novice's confusion regarding the notation and implications of density expressed in units of kg m-3. The original poster seeks clarification on how to interpret the density value and its application in calculating mass.

Discussion Character

  • Exploratory, Conceptual clarification

Approaches and Questions Raised

  • Participants discuss the meaning of the notation "m-3" and its relevance to density calculations. The original poster questions whether the negative sign has any significance in the calculation process. Others clarify that it indicates the unit's position in the denominator and does not require any subtraction in calculations.

Discussion Status

There has been productive guidance provided regarding the interpretation of density units and the relationship between mass, volume, and density. However, the original poster expresses ongoing confusion about applying these concepts to calculate mass, indicating that further clarification may be needed.

Contextual Notes

The original poster mentions the dimensions of the object being a sphere with a diameter of 4.6 meters, which introduces additional complexity to the discussion as they attempt to apply the density value to find the mass.

Katchit
Messages
5
Reaction score
0
Hello everyone! I am new to the forum and it looks an excellent forum, and busy too, which is always good! I feel a bit of a novice for asking this, but i have never been that great at Maths or Physics, so bear with me please.

Homework Statement



Basically, i would like to know please, if i was dealing with a density which has a minus at the end of the cubic metres, how do i go about that?

I need to work out the density of an object with the calculation...

5 x 103 kg m-3

Homework Equations





The Attempt at a Solution



Im guessing that when there is 5 x 103 that means 5 x 30,000?

But it is just the m-3 which then confuses me.

Many thanks and again sorry for the novice post.
 
Physics news on Phys.org
the m-3 is just the unit; it means that for every cubic meter the mass is 5000 kg. Density is Mass/Volume.
The density given is [tex]5000 \frac{kg}{m^3}[/tex]
 
Thanks MrWarlock616, appreciate your quick and helpful reply.

So (again, sorry if it's a novice question), the - doesn't have any significance?

Do i not have to minus anything from the calculation or anything like that?

Thanks again.
 
No, you don't have to subtract anything. Just use 5000 as the density. The minus indicates that cubic meter is in the denominator.
 
Ah right! Thank you again for the explanation and the advice!

Much appreciated.
 
Sorry, i still seem to be struggling with this, and not sure why, it is frustrating.

It is thought that the object was around 4.6 m across. Assume the body is a sphere, with a density of

5 x 103 kg m-3

i am required to work out the mass of the object.

This is really annoying me as i can't work it out! Thanks again for any help.
 
Density is ##\frac{Mass}{Volume}##. So the Mass to be found is

##Mass=(Density)(Volume)##

Volume of a sphere is ##\frac{4}{3}\pi r^3##.

But the object is 4.6 meters across. Hence the diameter of the sphere is 4.6 meters.
So the radius ##r=2.3##

Now use the formulae I gave you.

I love using LaTex
 
Thank you!

So...

The, if the radius is 2.3, the volume of the sphere =

50.965010421636

The density is 5000kg m3

Then the mass =

254825.0521081800 kg
 

Similar threads

  • · Replies 1 ·
Replies
1
Views
2K
  • · Replies 2 ·
Replies
2
Views
3K
Replies
18
Views
3K
  • · Replies 31 ·
2
Replies
31
Views
3K
Replies
17
Views
3K
  • · Replies 2 ·
Replies
2
Views
8K
  • · Replies 13 ·
Replies
13
Views
3K
  • · Replies 2 ·
Replies
2
Views
2K
  • · Replies 7 ·
Replies
7
Views
3K
  • · Replies 12 ·
Replies
12
Views
2K