1 2

Problem 1.1 Express the fractions 3 and 3 to three

significant digits.

Solution:
1/3 = 0.3333. . = 0.333
2/3 = 0.6666. . = 0.667

Problem 1.2 What is the value of e (the base of the

natural logarithms) to five significant digits?

Solution:
The value of e is 2.718281828. . . . Record the first five digits, and
round the last digit to the nearest integer. The result is e = 2.7183 to
five significant digits.

Problem 1.3 A machinist drills a circular hole in a

panel with radius r = 5 mm. Determine the circumfer-
ence C and area A of the hole to four significant digits.

Solution:
C = 2πr = 10π = 31.42 mm
A = πr 2 = 25π = 78.54 mm2

Problem 1.4 The opening in a soccer goal is 24 ft

wide and 8 ft high. Use these values to determine its
dimensions in meters to three significant digits.

Solution:
The conversion between feet and meters, found inside the front cover
of the textbook, is 1 m = 3.281 ft. The goal width,


1 m
w = 24 ft = 7.3148 m = 7.31 m.
3.281 ft
The goal height is given by


1 m
h = 8 ft = 2.438 m = 2.44 m.
3.281 ft

Problem 1.5 The central span of the Golden Gate

Bridge is 1280 m long. What is its length in miles
to three significant digits?

Solution:




39.37 in 1 ft 1 mi
(1280 m)
1 m 12 in 5280 ft
= 0.7953. . mi = 0.795 mi
Problem 1.6 Suppose that you have just purchased
a Ferrari F355 coupe and you want to know whether
you can use your set of SAE (U.S. Customary Units)
wrenches to work on it. You have wrenches with widths
w = 1/4 in., 1/2 in., 3/4 in., and 1 in., and the car has nuts n
with dimensions n = 5 mm, 10 mm, 15 mm, 20 mm,
and 25 mm. Defining a wrench to fit if w is no more than
2% larger than n, which of your wrenches can you use?

Solution:
Convert the metric size n to inches, and compute the percentage dif-
ference between the metric sized nut and the SAE wrench. The results
are:



1 inch 0.19685 − 0.25
5 mm = 0.19685.. in, 100
25.4 mm 0.19685
= −27.0%



1 inch 0.3937 − 0.5
10 mm = 0.3937.. in, 100 = −27.0%
25.4 mm 0.3937



1 inch 0.5905 − 0.5
15 mm = 0.5905.. in, 100 = +15.3%
25.4 mm 0.5905



1 inch 0.7874 − 0.75
20 mm = 0.7874.. in, 100 = +4.7%
25.4 mm 0.7874



1 inch 0.9843 − 1.0
25 mm = 0.9843.. in, 100 = −1.6%
25.4 mm 0.9843
A negative percentage implies that the metric nut is smaller than the
SAE wrench; a positive percentage means that the nut is larger then
the wrench. Thus within the definition of the 2% fit, the 1 in. wrench
will fit the 25 mm nut. The other wrenches cannot be used.

Problem 1.7 The orbital velocity of the International

Space Station is 7690 m/s. Determine its velocity in
km/hr and in mi/hr to three significant digits.

Solution:




m 1m 3600 s m
7690 = 27,684 = 27,700
s 1000 m 1 hr hr
   39.37 in   1 ft   1 mi   3600 s 
7690 m
s 1 m 12 in 5280 ft 1 hr

= 17,202. . = 17,200 mi/hr

Problem 1.8 High-speed “bullet trains” began running

between Tokyo and Osaka, Japan, in 1964. If a bullet
train travels at 240 km/hr, what is its velocity in mi/hr to
three significant digits?

Solution:
Convert the units using Table 1.2. The results are:
 m 
1 mile 
1 ft


1000 m

240
hr 5280 ft 0.3048 m 1m



mile mile
= 149.12908 . . . = 149
hr hr
Problem 1.9 In December 1986, Dick Rutan and
Jeana Yeager flew the Voyager aircraft around the world
nonstop. They flew a distance of 40,212 km in 9 days,
3 minutes, and 44 seconds.
(a) Determine the distance they flew in miles to three
significant digits.
(b) Determine their average speed (the distance flown
divided by the time required) in kilometers per hour,
miles per hour, and knots (nautical miles per hour)
to three significant digits.

Solution:
Convert the units using Table 1.2.




1000 m 1 ft 1 mile
(a) 40,212 m
1m 0.3048 m 5280 ft
= 24,987 mi = 25,000 mi
(b) The time of flight is




3 44
9 days 3 min 44 sec = (9)(24)+ + hours
60 3600
= 216.062 hours.
The average speed is


40,212 m m
= 186.11 . Converting,
216.062 hours hr



m 1 mile mi mi
186.11 = 115.7 = 116 , or
hr 1.609 m hr hr


m  1 nautical mile
186.11 = 100.49 knots
hr 1.852 m
= 100 knots to three significant digits.

Problem 1.10 Engineers who study shock waves

sometimes express velocity in millimeters per micro-
second (mm/µs). Suppose the velocity of a wavefront is
measured and determined to be 5 mm/µs. Determine its
velocity: (a) in m/s; (b) in mi/s.

Solution:
Convert units using Tables 1.1 and 1.2. The results:



6 

mm 1 m 10 µs m
(a) 5 = 5000 .
µs 1000 mm 1s s
Next, use this result to get (b):





m 1 ft 1 mi mi
(b) 5000 = 3.10685 . . .
s 0.3048 m 5280 ft s


mi
= 3.11
s
Problem 1.11 The kinetic energy of a particle of mass
m is defined to be 12 mv 2 , where v is the magnitude of
the particle’s velocity. If the value of the kinetic energy
of a particle at a given time is 200 when m is in kilograms
and v is in meters per second, what is the value when m
is in slugs and v is in feet per second?

Solution:



2
kg-m2 0.0685 slug 1 ft
200
s2 1 kg 0.3048 m
slug-ft2
= 147.46 = 147
s2

Problem 1.12 The acceleration due to gravity at sea

level in SI units is g = 9.81 m/s2 . By converting units,
use this value to determine the acceleration due to gravity
at sea level in U.S. Customary units.

Solution:
Use Table 1.2. The result is:





m 1 ft ft ft
g = 9.81 = 32.185 . . . = 32.2
s2 0.3048 m s2 s2

Problem 1.13 A furlong per fortnight is a facetious

unit of velocity, perhaps made up by a student as a satir-
ical comment on the bewildering variety of units engi-
neers must deal with. A furlong is 660 ft (1/8 mile). A
fortnight is 2 weeks (14 days). If you walk to class at
2 m/s, what is your speed in furlongs per fortnight to
three significant digits?

Solution:
Convert the units using the given conversions. Record the first three
digits on the left, and add zeros as required by the number of tens in
the exponent. The result is:






ft 1 furlong 3600 s 24 hr 14 day
5
s 660 ft 1 hr 1 day 1 fortnight


furlongs
= 9160
fortnight

Problem 1.14 The cross-sectional area of a beam is

480 in2 . What is its cross-section in m2 ?

Solution:
Convert units using Table 1.2. The result:



1 ft 2 0.3048 m 2
480 in2 = 0.30967 . . . m2 = 0.310 m2
12 in 1 ft
Problem 1.15 At sea level, the weight density (weight
per unit volume) of water is approximately 62.4 lb/ft3 .
1 lb = 4.448 N, 1 ft = 0.3048 m, and g = 9.81 m/s2 .
Using only this information, determine the mass density
for water in kg/m3 .

Solution:
Get wt. density in N/m3 first.



3
lb 4.448 N 1 ft N
62.4 3 = 9801.77
ft 1 lb 0.3048 m m3
(carry extra significant figures till end—then round)
weight = mass · g
weight
mass =
g





N s2 N-s2 1
9801.77 = 999
m3 9.81 m m m3
= 999 kg/m3

Problem 1.16 A pressure transducer measures a value

of 300 lb/in2 . Determine the value of the pressure in
pascals. A pascal (Pa) is one newton per meter squared.

Solution:
Convert the units using Table 1.2 and the definition of the Pascal unit.
The result:




2
lb 4.448 N 12 in 2 1 ft
300 2
in 1 lb 1 ft 0.3048 m


N
= 2.0683 . . . (106 ) = 2.07(106 ) Pa
m2

Problem 1.17 A horsepower is 550 ft-lb/s. A watt

is 1 N-m/s. Determine the number of watts generated
by (a) the Wright brothers’ 1903 airplane, which had a
12-horsepower engine; (b) a modern passenger jet with
a power of 100,000 horsepower at cruising speed.

Solution:
Convert units using inside front cover of textbook derive the conversion
between horsepower and watts. The result


746 watt
(a) 12 hp = 8950 watt
1 hp


746 watt
(b) 105 hp = 7.46(107 ) watt
1 hp
Problem 1.18 In SI units, the universal gravitational
constant G = 6.67 × 10−11 N-m2 /kg2 . Determine the
value of G in U.S. Customary units.

Solution:
Convert units using Table 1.2. The result:



2

N-m2 1 lb 1 ft 14.59 kg 2
6.67(10−11 ) 2
kg 4.448 N 0.3048 m 1 slug

2
2
lb-ft lb-ft
= 3.43590 . . . (10−8 ) = 3.44(10−8 )
slug2 slug2

Problem 1.19 If the earth is modeled as a homogenous

sphere, the velocity of a satellite in a circular orbit is


gRE 2
v= ,
r
where RE is the radius of the earth and r is the radius of
the orbit.
(a) If g is in m/s2 and RE and r are in meters, what are
the units of v?
(b) If RE = 6370 km and r = 6670 km, what is the
value of v to three significant digits?
(c) For the orbit described in Part (b), what is the value
of v in mi/s to three significant digits?

Solution:
For (a), substitute the units into the expression and reduce:
  


g m 2 2


s2 (RE m) gRE m3 m
(a) = 2
=v
(rm) r ms s
Hence, the units are m/s
For (b), substitute
  the numerical values into the expression, using
g = 9.81 sm 2 .

 
  
m 2
 9.81 m (6370 m) 103 m
s2
v =  m

(6670 m) 103 m



m m
= 59.679 . . . (106 ) = 7.7252 . . . (103 )
s s


m
(b) v = 7730
s

For (c), convert units using Table 1.2. The result:




m 1 ft 1 mile
(c) v = 7730
s 0.3048 m 5280 ft



mile mile
= 4.803 . . . = 4.80
s s
Problem 1.20 In the equation
1 2
T = Iω ,
2
the term I is in kg-m2 and ω is in s−1 .
(a) What are the SI units of T ?
(b) If the value of T is 100 when I is in kg-m2 and ω is
in s−1 ,
what is the value of T when it is expressed in
U.S. Customary base units?

Solution:
For (a), substitute the units into the expression for T :


1 kg-m2
(a) T = (I kg-m2 )(ωs−1 )2 =
2 s2

For (b), convert units using Table 1.2. The result:



2
kg-m2 1 slug 1 ft
(b) 100
s2 14.59 kg 0.3048 m

2

slug-ft slug-ft2
= 73.7759 . . . 2
= 73.8 2
s s

Problem 1.21 The aerodynamic drag force D exerted

on a moving object by a gas is given by the expression
1
D = CD S ρv 2 ,
2
where the drag coefficient CD is dimensionless, S is
reference area, ρ is the mass per unit volume of the gas,
and v is the velocity of the object relative to the gas.
(a) Suppose that the value of D is 800 when S, ρ, and
v are expressed in SI base units. By converting
units, determine the value of D when S, ρ, and v
are expressed in U.S. Customary units.
(b) The drag force D is in newtons when the expression
is evaluated in SI base units and is in pounds when
the expression is evaluated in U.S. Customary base
units. Using your result from part (a), determine the
conversion factor from newtons to pounds.

Solution:
For (a), we just carry out the conversion unit by unit. We get:


2

kg m kg m
(a) 800( m2 ) = 800
m3 s s2




0.0685 slug 3.281 ft 1
= 800
1 kg 1 m s2


slug ft
= 180
s2

(b) From (a), 800 N = 180 lb. Hence, 1 N = 0.225 lb.

Problem 1.22 The pressure p at a depth h below the
surface of a stationary liquid is given by
p = ps + γh,
where ps is pressure at the surface and γ is a constant.
(a) If p is in newtons per meter squared and h is in
meters, what are the units of γ?
(b) For a particular liquid, the value of γ is 9810 when
p is in newtons per meter squared and h is in meters.
What is the value for γ when p is in pounds per foot
squared and h is in feet?

Solution:
The units of γh are the same as the units of P . Thus, in units


N
= γ( m)
m2
units of γ ∼ N/m3
We must convert 9810 m N to lb
3
ft3




N 1 lb 0.3048 m 3
9810 3
= 62.4 lb/ft3
m 4.448 N 1 ft

Problem 1.23 The acceleration due to gravity is

1.62 m/s2 on the surface of the moon and 9.81 m/s2
on the surface of the earth. A female astronaut’s mass
is 57 kg. What is the maximum allowable mass of her
spacesuit and equipment if the engineers don’t want the
total weight on the moon of the woman, her spacesuit
and equipment to exceed 180 N?

Solution:
Find the mass which weighs 180 N on the moon.
w 180 N-s2
m= = = 111.1 kg
g 1.62 m
This is the total allowable mass. Thus, the suit & equipment can have
mass of
mS/E = 111.1 kg − 57 kg = 54.1 kg

Problem 1.24 A person has a mass of 50 kg.

(a) The acceleration due to gravity at sea level is g =
9.81 m/s2 . What is the person’s weight at sea level?
(b) The acceleration due to gravity on the moon is g =
1.62 m/s2 . What would the person weigh on the
moon?

Solution:
Use Eq (1.6).


m
(a) We = 50 kg 9.81 2 = 490.5 N = 491 N, and
s


m
(b) Wmoon = 50 kg 1.62 2 = 81 N.
s
Problem 1.25 The acceleration due to gravity at sea
level is g = 9.81 m/s2 . The radius of the earth is
6370 km. The universal gravitation constant is G =
6.67 × 10−11 N-m2 /kg2 . Use this information to deter-
mine the mass of the earth.
Solution:
GmE
Use Eq (1.3) a = R2
. Solve for the mass,
 
m 2
gR2 (9.81 m/s2 )(6370 m)2 103 m
mE = =

G 2
6.67(10−11 ) N-m2
kg

= 5.9679 . . . (1024 ) kg = 5.97(1024 ) kg

Problem 1.26 A person weighs 180 lb at sea level.

The radius of the earth is 3960 mi. What force is exerted
on the person by the gravitational attraction of the earth
if he is in a space station in orbit 200 mi above the surface
of the earth?
Solution:
Use Eq (1.5).



2
2
RE 2 WE RE 3960
W = mg = g = WE
r g RE + H 3960 + 200
= (180)(0.90616) = 163 lb

Problem 1.27 The acceleration due to gravity on the

surface of the moon is 1.62 m/s2 . The radius of the moon
is RM = 1738 km.
Determine the acceleration due to gravity of the moon at
a point 1738 km above its surface.
Strategy: Write an equation equivalent to Eq. (1.4) for
the acceleration due to gravity of the moon.
Solution:  2
RM
Use Eq (1.4), rewritten to apply to the Moon. . . a = gM r

2
2
RM 1
a = (1.62 m/s2 ) = (1.62 m/s2 ) = 0.405 m/s2
RM +RM 2

Problem 1.28 If an object is near the surface of the

earth, the variation of its weight with distance from the
center of the earth can often be neglected. The acceler-
ation due to gravity at sea level is g = 9.81 m/s2 . The
radius of the earth is 6370 km. The weight of an object
at sea level is mg, where m is its mass. At what height
above the earth does the weight decrease to 0.99 mg?
Solution:
Use a variation of Eq (1.5).

2
RE
W = mg = 0.99 mg
RE + h
Solve for the radial height,


1
h = RE √ − 1 = (6370)(1.0050378 − 1.0)
0.99
= 32.09 . . . m = 32,100 m = 32.1 m
Problem 1.29 The centers of two oranges are 1 m
apart. The mass of each orange is 0.2 kg. What gravita-
tional force do they exert on each other? (The universal
gravitational constant is G = 6.67 × 10−11 N-m2 /kg2 .)

Solution:
Gm1 m2
Use Eq (1.1) F = r2
. Substitute:

(6.67)(10−11 )(0.2)(0.2)
F = = 2.668(10−12 ) N
12

Problem 1.30 At a point between the earth and the

moon, the magnitude of the earth’s gravitational accel-
eration equals the magnitude of the moon’s gravitational
acceleration. What is the distance from the center of
the earth to that point to three significant digits? The
distance from the center of the earth to the center of
the moon is 383,000 km, and the radius of the earth is
6370 km. The radius of the moon is 1738 km, and the
acceleration of gravity at its surface is 1.62 m/s2 .

Solution:
Let rEp be the distance from the Earth to the point where the gravita-
tional accelerations are the same and let rMp be the distance from the
Moon to that point. Then, rEp + rMp = rEM = 383,000 m. The
fact that the gravitational attractions by the Earth and the Moon at this
point are equal leads to the equation



RE 2 RM 2
gE = gM ,
rEp rMp
where rEM = 383,000 m. Substituting the correct numerical values
leads to the equation




2
m 6370 m 2 m 1738 m
9.81 = 1.62 ,
s2 rEp s2 rEM − rEp
where rEp is the only unknown. Solving, we get rEp = 344,770 m =
345,000 m.