Ask Experts Questions for FREE Help !
Ask
    tracalanex's Avatar
    tracalanex Posts: 1, Reputation: 1
    New Member
    		  
    #1

    Sep 20, 2009, 03:54 PM
    What is the diameter of an oil molecule?
    My textbook told me that the oil slick was 41.8 cm in radius. But I know that a molecule isn't that big, let alone twice as big for the diameter. But, on the homework question they gave me other info too. They said that the oil droplet is 9.00*10^-7 kg, and that the density is 918 kg/m cubed. I have no idea where to start. Someone please help me.:(
    Perito's Avatar
    Perito Posts: 3,139, Reputation: 150
    Ultra Member
    		  
    #2

    Sep 20, 2009, 08:15 PM

    1. You know the weight (kg)of the droplet
    2. You know the density ()of the droplet.

    If you divide the weight by the density, this is what you will get:



    That's simply a volume -- Assume that it's spherical.

    You have the volume of the oil blob. Do you know the formula for the volume of a sphere? Set the volume of the droplet equal to the formula for the volume of the sphere. Solve for the radius. Double it to get the diameter of the blob.
    Unknown008's Avatar
    Unknown008 Posts: 8,076, Reputation: 723
    Uber Member
    		  
    #3

    Sep 21, 2009, 06:49 AM

    I guess that your book didn't phrase the question well. The 'molecule' should be replaced by 'droplet', or 'blob', or any similar wording.

    Some other thing is wrong too, I keep getting 0.62 mm as the radius (assuming the oil is spherical) :(
Not your question? Ask your question View similar questions
 

Question Tools Search this Question
Search this Question:

Advanced Search


Check out some similar questions!

Drawing molecule formula [ 3 Answers ]

I know the molecule formula of shikimic acid C7H10O5 but I have to redraw it showing the bonds and atoms separately... When I get to the Carbon atom that that has a hydrogen branching one way and a oxyen- hydrogen the other way how would I depict that in a drawing ?

Reaction between the food molecule and water query [ 3 Answers ]

the reaction between the food molecule A and water as given in the attachment. This reaction might occur during the digestion of the molecule. The equation for this reaction is incomplete; only the reactants are shown, the missing product(s) being indicated by a question mark (?). Can you...

Dna molecule [ 4 Answers ]

Where is the Genetic code stored in the DNA molecule? And How is the genetic code store in the DNA molecule? Thank you

View more questions Search