Final answer:
The pressure exerted by 50.0 kg of gasoline in a 0.500-m-wide by 0.900-m-long gas tank can be calculated by dividing the weight of the gasoline (converted to Newtons) by the area of the tank's bottom, resulting in the determination of the pressure in Pascal.
Step-by-step explanation:
The question pertains to determining the pressure exerted on the bottom of a gas tank with specific dimensions and a given weight of gasoline when full. To solve this, we need to calculate the force exerted by the gasoline and divide it by the area of the tank's bottom.
First, we calculate the weight of the gasoline using the equation Weight = Mass x Gravitational acceleration (W = m x g). Assuming standard gravity, g is approximately 9.8 m/s2. Once we have the weight, we can calculate the pressure using the formula Pressure = Force/Area (P = F/A).
Since the mass of the gasoline is given as 50.0 kg, the weight (W) is 50.0 kg x 9.8 m/s2, which results in a force (F) of 490 Newtons. The area (A) of the tank's bottom is 0.500 m x 0.900 m, which equals 0.45 m2. Therefore, the pressure (P) is 490 N / 0.45 m2.
To conclude, the depth of the tank and whether the volume is reasonable for a passenger car are not specified in the question. However, knowledge of the pressure exerted by the gasoline can be helpful in various engineering and design contexts.