Question

A) The current theory of the structure of the Earth, called plate tectonics, tells us that the continents are in constant motion. Assume that the North American continent can be represented by a slab of rock 5900 km on a side and 26 km deep and that the rock has an average mass density of 2800 kg/m^3. The continent is moving at the rate of about 4 cm/year. What is the mass of the continent. Answer in units of kg.
B) What is the kinetic energy of the continent? Answer in units of kg.
C) A jogger (of mass 80 kg) has the same kinetic energy as that of the continent. What would his speed be? Answer in units of m/s.

Answer 1

A) The mass of the continent is $2.5\cdot 10^{21} kg$

B) The kinetic energy is 2016 J

C) The speed of the jogger should be 7.1 m/s

Explanation:

A)

The mass of the continent can be calculated as

$m = \rho V$

where

$\rho = 2800 kg/m^3$ is its density

V is its volume

We have to calculate its volume. We know that the continent is represented as a slab of side 5900 km (so its surface is 5900 x 5900, assuming it is a square) and depth of 26 km, so its volume is:

$V=(5900 km)^2 (26 km)=9.05\cdot 10^8 km^3 =9.05 \cdot 10^8 \cdot (10^9 m^3/k^3)=9.05\cdot 10^7 m^3$

So, the mass of the continent is

$m=\rho V = (2800)(9.05\cdot 10^{17})=2.5\cdot 10^{21} kg$

B)

The kinetic energy of a body is given by

$K=\frac{1}{2}mv^2$

where

m is the mass of the body

v is its speed

For the continent, we have:

$m=2.5\cdot 10^{21} kg$ is the mass

$v=4 cm/year$ is the speed

We have to convert the speed into SI units. we have:

1 cm = 0.01 m

$1 year = (365)(24)(60)(60) s = 3.15\cdot 10^7 s$

So, the speed is

$v=4 cm/year = 0.04 m/year \cdot \frac{1}{3.15\cdot 10^7}=1.27\cdot 10^{-9} m/s$

Therefore, the kinetic energy is

$K=\frac{1}{2}(2.5\cdot 10^{21} kg)(1.27\cdot 10^{-9} m/s)^2=2016 J$

C)

Again, the kinetic energy of an object is

$K=\frac{1}{2}mv^2$

For the jogger in this problem, his mass is

m = 80 kg

And we want its kinetic energy to be equal to that of the continent, so

K = 2016 J

Re-arranging the equation for v, we find what speed the jogger needs to have this kinetic energy:

$v=\sqrt{\frac{2K}{m}}=\sqrt{\frac{2(2016)}{80}}=7.1 m/s$

Learn more about kinetic energy here:

brainly.com/question/6536722

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