Problem:
The North American and European continents are moving apart at a rate of about 3 cm/y. At this rate how long will it take them to drift 500 km farther apart than they are at present?
Solution:
We know that the formula for velocity is
\text{velocity}=\frac{\text{displacement}}{\text{time}}If we rearrange the formula and solve for time, we come up with
\text{time}=\frac{\text{displacement}}{\text{velocity}}Substituting the given values,
\begin{align*}
\Delta \text{t} & =\frac{500\:\text{km}}{3\:\text{cm/year}} \\ \\
& =\frac{5\times 10^5\text{ m}}{3\:\text{cm/year}}\times \frac{100\:\text{cm}}{1\:\text{m}} \\ \\
& =1.67\times 10^7\text{years} \ \qquad \ \color{DarkOrange} \left( \text{Answer} \right) \\
\end{align*} Therefore, the time it will take is about 1.67\times 10^{7}\ \text{years}.
College Physics Chapter 2 Problems
College Physics 2nd Edition Solutions Table of Contents
Chapter 1: Introduction: The Nature of Science and Physics
Chapter 3: Two-Dimensional Kinematics
Chapter 4: Dynamics: Force and Newton’s Law of Motion
Chapter 5: Further Applications of Newton’s Laws: Friction, Drag, and Elasticity
Chapter 6: Uniform Circular Motion and Gravitation
Chapter 7: Work, Energy, and Energy Resources
Chapter 8: Linear Momentum and Collisions
Chapter 10: Rotational Motion and Angular Momentum
Chapter 12: Fluid Dynamics and Its Biological and Medical Applications
Chapter 13: Temperature, Kinetic Theory, and the Gas Laws
Chapter 14: Heat and Heat Transfer Methods
Chapter 15: Thermodynamics
Chapter 16: Oscillatory Motion and Waves
Chapter 17: Physics of Hearing
Chapter 18: Electric Charge and Electric Field
Chapter 19: Electric Potential and Electric Field
Chapter 20:
Electric Current, Resistance, and Ohm’s Law
Chapter 21: Circuits and DC Instruments
Chapter 22: Magnetism
Chapter 23: Electromagnetic Induction, AC Circuits, and Electrical Technologies
Chapter 24: Electromagnetic Waves
Chapter 25: Geometric Optics
Chapter 26: Vision and Optical Instrument
Chapter 27: Wave Optics
Chapter 28: Special Relativity
Chapter 29: Introduction to Quantum Physics
Chapter 30: Atomic Physics
Chapter 31: Radioactivity and Nuclear Physics
Chapter 32: Medical Applications of Nuclear Physics
Chapter 33: Particle Physics
Chapter 34: Frontiers of Physics
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