Answer Happy

(E.1) Inspired by our recent determinations of the density of cylindrical samples, PK set about to check whether the little cube purporting to be pure plutonium that he received as a souvenir when touring a nuclear fuel reprocessing plant really is what it claims to be! Using high-precision [+0.02 mm) vernier calipers and working under excellent conditions, the edge-lengths of the cube were measured at two different points between each of the three pairs of faces. The values obtained were: Cube Side Lengths in mm +0.02 mm 5.01 5.02 4.98 5.01 5.00 The cube's mass was measured on a balance yielding the result: M = 2.45 + 0.05 g. (a) Compute the experimental range of densities of the cube using the brute force method. 4.99 (b) Compute the experimental range of densities of the cube using the finesse method. (c) Compare your results in (a) and (b). (d) The accepted value for the density of plutonium ppu = 19.84 g/cm? Comment.