Velocity, distance and time
Problem 1:Generally, we know the equation for velocity (a rate) to be:
Where v = velocity, d = distance and t = time.
This equation can be rearranged so that you have an
equation for distance (d) and time (t).
1. Rearrange the velocity equation to create an equation for distance (d).
2. Rearrange the velocity equation to create an equation for time (t).
Use the equations that you manipulated above to solve the following problems:
Problem 2: A wave traveling downward
from the surface of the ocean at 1.5 km/sec
takes six seconds to reflect off the ocean
floor. How deep is the ocean at that site?
Problem 3: Imagine that you are working
with Ms. Homeowner to understand the
groundwater flow in her area. She is
particularly interested in an underground tank that is located 2.6 km from her home. You have
measured the velocity of the groundwater to be 0.033 km/day. About how long will it take any
contaminants leaking from the tank to reach Ms. Homeowner's well?
Density
Density plays an important role in our understanding of the physical properties of Earth
materials. The equation for density is similar to that for velocity and, as such, it can be
manipulated so that you can solve for any of the variables involved. The next few problems
utilize the equation for density:
