A glass sphere of radius 10 cm is placed in a pressure chamber. Its radius is observed to decrease by 0.1 mm. What is the pressure in the chamber (in atmospheres)? The bulk modulus of glass is 5x1010 N m-2.
A)1480 ATM
B)14 800 ATM
C)1500 ATM
D)150 ATM
E)15 ATM

Question

Quizplus · Accepted Answer

The bulk modulus (K) is defined as K = -ΔP / (ΔV/V), where ΔP is the change in pressure, ΔV is the change in volume, and V is the original volume. For a sphere, V = (4/3)πr^3. The change in volume ΔV can be approximated as 3Δr/r times the original volume for small changes in radius. Given the bulk modulus and the change in radius, we can solve for ΔP and convert it to atmospheres. The calculation shows that the pressure is approximately 1480 ATM.

A Glass Sphere of Radius 10 Cm Is Placed in a Pressure