Read through Appendix A in your text for some background.
Note that the units are in miles. Write this problem down for yourself and make sure you understand how the units cancel out.
Question 2 -- How many cubic cm are in one cubic inch? [there are 2.54 cm in one inch]
Question 3 -- Therefore, one cubic centimeter equals ___________ cubic inches.
Question 4 -- What is the volume of the Earth in cubic inches _____________.
Question 5 -- Compute the volume of the earth in cubic centimeters using the equitorial radius given above (6,378 km).
Question 6 -- Why do you think your answer does not agree with the volume given above? What if the Earth is not a perfect sphere -- that is, what if the radius at the pole is not equal to the radius at the equator?
Question 7 -- Compute the density of the Earth (using the volume given at the start of the problem) - the ratio of mass to volume - usually given as grams/cubic centimeters.
The density of the crust is about 2.6 and that of the mantle is about 3.2.
Question 8 -- What does your calculation tell you about the density of the core?
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Copyright by John C. Butler, July 29, 1995