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vladimir69
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Shockwave destroying a house [Solved]
A 1-megaton nuclear explosion produces a shock wave whose amplitude, measured as excess air pressure above normal atmospheric pressure, is 1.4x10^5 Pa at a distance of 1.3km from the explosion. An excess pressure of 3.5x10^4 Pa will destroy a typical wood-frame house. At what distance from the explosion will such houses be destroyed? Assume the wavefront is spherical.
[tex]I=\frac{P}{A}[/tex]
[tex]A=4\pi R^2[/tex]
I just treated the excess air pressure as "intensity". Assuming the force drops off as the inverse square of distance.
[tex]P=IA=1.4\times10^5\times 4 \pi \times 1.3^2=2973203.3[/tex]
[tex]P=I_1 A_1[/tex]
[tex]2973203.3=3.5\times 10^4 \times 4\pi R^2[/tex]
[tex]R^2=6.76km^2[/tex]
[tex]R=2.6km[/tex]
in the book the answer gives 5.6km, looks like i am out by a factor of 2, not sure how though.
Homework Statement
A 1-megaton nuclear explosion produces a shock wave whose amplitude, measured as excess air pressure above normal atmospheric pressure, is 1.4x10^5 Pa at a distance of 1.3km from the explosion. An excess pressure of 3.5x10^4 Pa will destroy a typical wood-frame house. At what distance from the explosion will such houses be destroyed? Assume the wavefront is spherical.
Homework Equations
[tex]I=\frac{P}{A}[/tex]
[tex]A=4\pi R^2[/tex]
The Attempt at a Solution
I just treated the excess air pressure as "intensity". Assuming the force drops off as the inverse square of distance.
[tex]P=IA=1.4\times10^5\times 4 \pi \times 1.3^2=2973203.3[/tex]
[tex]P=I_1 A_1[/tex]
[tex]2973203.3=3.5\times 10^4 \times 4\pi R^2[/tex]
[tex]R^2=6.76km^2[/tex]
[tex]R=2.6km[/tex]
in the book the answer gives 5.6km, looks like i am out by a factor of 2, not sure how though.
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