Question

A piece of aluminum foil measuring 4.64 in. by 1.66 in. has a mass of 14.2 g. Aluminum has a density of 2.70 g/cc. What is the thickness of the foil in inches?

a) 4.31e-3 in
b) 2.76 in
c) 5.62e-3 in
d) 3.95e-3 in

Answer 1

To find the thickness of an aluminum foil, one should calculate the volume using the given mass and the known density, then use the surface area to find the thickness, and finally express the thickness in the desired units.

Step-by-step explanation:

The question seeks to determine the thickness of aluminum foil with given dimensions and mass, and the known density of aluminum. We can use the formula density = mass/volume and rearrange it to calculate the volume and, consequently, the thickness of the foil. The calculation involves converting from inches to centimeters to match the density's units (2.70 g/cc), and then back to inches for the answer.

Steps to Calculate the Thickness

1. Calculate the volume of the aluminum foil using the mass and density. Volume (cm³) = Mass (g) / Density (g/cm³).
2. Since the surface area is given in inches, convert it to centimeters (1 inch = 2.54 cm).
3. With the volume in cm³ and surface area in cm², calculate the thickness in cm by dividing the volume by the surface area.
4. Finally, convert the thickness back to inches to get the final answer.

Using this process, we can determine which of the choices a) 4.31e-3 in, b) 2.76 in, c) 5.62e-3 in, or d) 3.95e-3 in represents the correct thickness of the aluminum foil.