Purchase Solution

maximum length of a steel cable lowered into a mine

Not what you're looking for?

Ask Custom Question

Although human beings have been able to fly hundreds of thousands of miles into outer space, getting inside the earth has proven much more difficult. The deepest mines ever drilled are only about 10 miles deep. To illustrate the difficulties associated with such drilling, consider the following:

The density of steel is about 7900 kilograms per cubic meter, and its breaking stress, defined as the maximum stress the material can bear without deteriorating, is about 2.0*10^9 pascals.
What is the maximum length (km) of a steel cable that can be lowered into a mine? Assume that the magnitude of the acceleration due to gravity remains constant at 9.8 meters per second per second.

Purchase this Solution

Solution Summary

It finds the maximum length of a steel cable that can be lowered into a mine without deteriorating.

Solution Preview

Assume the cable is L meters deep into the Earth.
The cross-sectional area is A square meters for the cable.
then the volume of the cable V = ...

Purchase this Solution


Free BrainMass Quizzes
Classical Mechanics

This quiz is designed to test and improve your knowledge on Classical Mechanics.

Basic Physics

This quiz will test your knowledge about basic Physics.

Variables in Science Experiments

How well do you understand variables? Test your knowledge of independent (manipulated), dependent (responding), and controlled variables with this 10 question quiz.

Intro to the Physics Waves

Some short-answer questions involving the basic vocabulary of string, sound, and water waves.

The Moon

Test your knowledge of moon phases and movement.