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Textbook Solutions for College Physics,

Chapter 17 Problem 17.56

Question

In one form of plethysmograph (a device for measuring volume), a rubber capillary tube with an inside diameter of 1.00 mm is fi lled with mercury at 20C. The resistance of the mercury is measured with the aid of electrodes sealed into the ends of the tube. If 100.00 cm of the tube is wound in a spiral around a patients upper arm, the blood fl ow during a heartbeat causes the arm to expand, stretching the tube to a length of 100.04 cm. From this observation, and assuming cylindrical symmetry, you can fi nd the change in volume of the arm, which gives an indication of blood fl ow. (a) Calculate the resistance of the mercury. (b) Calculate the fractional change in resistance during the heartbeat. (Hint: The fraction by which the cross-sectional area of the mercury thread decreases is the fraction by which the length increases, since the volume of mercury is constant.) Take rHg _ 9.4 _ 10_7 _ m.

Solution

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The first step in solving 17 problem number 56 trying to solve the problem we have to refer to the textbook question: In one form of plethysmograph (a device for measuring volume), a rubber capillary tube with an inside diameter of 1.00 mm is fi lled with mercury at 20C. The resistance of the mercury is measured with the aid of electrodes sealed into the ends of the tube. If 100.00 cm of the tube is wound in a spiral around a patients upper arm, the blood fl ow during a heartbeat causes the arm to expand, stretching the tube to a length of 100.04 cm. From this observation, and assuming cylindrical symmetry, you can fi nd the change in volume of the arm, which gives an indication of blood fl ow. (a) Calculate the resistance of the mercury. (b) Calculate the fractional change in resistance during the heartbeat. (Hint: The fraction by which the cross-sectional area of the mercury thread decreases is the fraction by which the length increases, since the volume of mercury is constant.) Take rHg _ 9.4 _ 10_7 _ m.
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Title College Physics, 8 
Author Raymond A. Serway Chris Vuille, Jerry S. Faughn
ISBN 9780495386933

Solved: In one form of plethysmograph (a device for

Chapter 17 textbook questions

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