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Ch.1 - Chemical Tools: Experimentation & Measurement
Chapter 1, Problem 118c

Ocean currents are measured in Sverdrups (sv) where 1 sv = 109 m3/s. The Gulf Stream off the tip of Florida, for instance, has a flow of 35 sv. (c) How much time is required for 1 petaliter (PL; 1 PL = 1015 L) of seawater to flow past a given point?

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Key Concepts

Here are the essential concepts you must grasp in order to answer the question correctly.

Sverdrup Measurement

A Sverdrup (sv) is a unit of measurement for ocean current flow, defined as 1 million cubic meters per second (10^6 m³/s). In this context, it is used to quantify the volume of water moving through a specific area in the ocean, which is crucial for understanding ocean circulation patterns and their impact on climate.
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Volume Conversion

To solve the problem, it is essential to convert between different units of volume. Specifically, 1 petaliter (PL) equals 10^15 liters, and since 1 cubic meter is equivalent to 1,000 liters, understanding these conversions allows for accurate calculations of how long it takes for a specific volume of seawater to flow past a point.
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Flow Rate and Time Calculation

The flow rate of the Gulf Stream is given in Sverdrups, which can be converted to cubic meters per second. To find the time required for a specific volume of seawater to pass a point, the formula time = volume/flow rate is applied. This relationship is fundamental in fluid dynamics and helps in understanding how quickly large volumes of water can move in ocean currents.
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Related Practice
Textbook Question
Brass is a copper–zinc alloy. What is the mass in grams of a brass cylinder having a length of 1.62 in. and a diameter of 0.514 in. if the composition of the brass is 67.0% copper and 33.0% zinc by mass? The density of copper is 8.92 g/cm3, and the density of zinc is 7.14 g/cm3. Assume that the den-sity of the brass varies linearly with composition.
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Textbook Question

Ocean currents are measured in Sverdrups (sv) where 1 sv = 109 m3/s. The Gulf Stream off the tip of Florida, for instance, has a flow of 35 sv. (a) What is the flow of the Gulf Stream in milliliters per minute?

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Textbook Question

Ocean currents are measured in Sverdrups (sv) where 1 sv = 109 m3/s. The Gulf Stream off the tip of Florida, for instance, has a flow of 35 sv. (b) What mass of water in the Gulf Stream flows past a given point in 24 hours? The density of seawater is 1.025 g/mL.

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Textbook Question

The element gallium (Ga) has the second-largest liquid range of any element, melting at 29.78 °C and boiling at 2204 °C at atmospheric pressure. (a) What is the density of gallium in g/cm3 at 25 °C if a 1 in. cube has a mass of 0.2133 lb?

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Textbook Question

The element gallium (Ga) has the second-largest liquid range of any element, melting at 29.78 °C and boiling at 2204 °C at atmospheric pressure. (b) Assume that you construct a thermometer using gallium as the fluid instead of mercury and that you define the melting point of gallium as 0 °G and the boiling point of gallium as 1000 °G. What is the melting point of sodium chloride (801 °C) on the gallium scale?

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Textbook Question
An 8.894 g block of aluminum was pressed into a thin square of foil with 36.5 cm edge lengths. (a) If the density of Al is 2.699 g>cm3, how thick is the foil in centimeters?
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