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SOLUTION TO EXERCISE 5
SOLUTION TO EXERCISE 5 0.1% - i.e. 0.001 - of the comet's volume is vaporized. The volume of the comet is 1 cubic kilometer = (100,000 cm)^3 = 10^15 cubic centimeters. The density of ice is 0.92 g/cm^3. The molecular weight of water is 18, meaning that a mole (6 * 10^23) of water molecules has a mass of 18 grams. So the total number of molecules vaporized is 0.001 * 10^15 cm^3 * 0.92 g/cm^3 * 6 * 10^23 -------------------------------------------- = 3.1 * 10^34 18 g |