C HAPTER

Formulae: evaluation
and transposition

5.1 Evaluation of the subject of a

formula
Exercises 5.1
Evaluate the following:

n
1

when k  6.83, n  263, t  11.4
k 
t
r2  w2
2

when c  86.5, r  32.8, m  1.26, v  92.1, w  27.3
m
cv
3

(a2  b2)3 where a  6.92, b  7.05


k2  m2 where k  9.42, m  6.32

2
2


q  s where q  6.39, s  4.17

1


3 where d  4.93, f  7.62
(
d
 
f)

(c2  d3)2 where c  1.27, d  1.85



j 

k where j  5.26, k  9.21

(q2  w2  e2)2 where q  1.12, w  2.13, e  2.09

10

2
3


x  z where x  2.97, z  2.68

11

ab


where a  45.6, b  67.9, c  1.26, d  8.72

cd

5.3 Evaluation of a formula

Exercises 5.2
1

If at some instant, a body moving in a straight line with a velocity of u is given a constant
acceleration of a, the time it takes from that instant to travel a distance s is given by:
2

u
 2
as u
t 

.
a

Chapter 5 Formulae: Evaluation and Transposition

37

Find the time taken in the following cases:

2
a u  26.8 m/s, a  5.52 m/s , s  14.2 m
2
b u  28.4 km/h, a  8.13 m/s , s  860 mm
2

The power dissipated by resistance R1 when a potential difference of V is maintained across

V2R1
resistances R1 and R2 in series is given by: P 


2 . Find the power dissipated by
(R1  R2)
R1 in the following cases:
a R1  8.63 , R2  11.4 , V  15.8 V
b R1  1.42 k, R2  2.08 k, V  843 mV

At a frequency of f, the impedance of a circuit which consists of a resistance R in series

1 2
2
with a capacitance C is given by: Z  R 

.
2 fC
Find the impedance in the following cases:
a R  1.86 , f  63.0 Hz, C  0.002 55 F
b R  54.5 , f  1.24 kHz, C  2.74 F



2
V 
u
 2as
, the final velocity of a body, where u  initial velocity, a  its
acceleration, s  the distance travelled.

Evaluate v when u  20 km/h, a  8 m/s2, s  685 mm.

5

(m1  m2)g
a 

, the acceleration when masses m1 and m2 hang
m1  m2
over a smooth pulley.
Evaluate a when m1  1.28 kg, m2  683 g, g  9.80 m/s2.
m1

m2



l
T  2

, the period (time of oscillation) of a simple pendulum.
g
2
Evaluate T when l  893 mm, g  9.80 m/s .



l2
r2




, the radius of gyration of a solid cylinder
4
12
about the axis shown, where l  the length and r  the radius.

k

Evaluate k when l  1.28 m, r  93.2 mm.

5.4 Transposition
Exercises 5.3
1

a
b

38

5
Solve for x:

 7
x
k
Make x the subject of the formula:

 w
x

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a
b

x2
4
Solve for x:




4
5
xa
m
Make x the subject of the formula:




b
k

Transpositions involving squares and square roots

Exercises 5.3 (continued)
Make x the subject of the following formulae:
xa
a  2b 2
3 5k  2
ax  2k
4 n 

 y
5 k 

 m
3
x
Miscellaneous
In each of the following exercises, for mechanical students, a formula is given followed by a
pronumeral in parentheses. In each case, make this pronumeral the subject of the formula
(express the given pronumeral in terms of the other variables and constants).
100(m1  mm)
6 Hs  cts  L
(c)
7 P 


(m1)
mm
mv  mu
8 F 


(v)
9 E  aW  b
(W)
t
2
10 T  mg  m r
(r)



These exercises, intended for electrical students, also provide additional practice for nonelectrical students.

I
11 B 


(a)
12 H 


(d)
a
2d
l
13 T  F
d
(F)
14 R 


(a)
a
l1
F
15 R 


(F)
16 V1  E



(l)

l
Questions 1720 involve taking a square or square root.
17 E  I Rt
2

18 W 
2
CV

(I)

B
(B)
2
Questions 2125 are more difficult.
V
21 I 


(R2)
R1  R2
R2
T  t2
23




(t1)
R1
T  t1

(V)
2

N 

19 W 

N1

20 R  RL

(N2)

22 R2  R1(1  t)

(t)

Q
C

24 e  iR 

(C)

The total resistance of this circuit is given by:

25

1
R

2
1





r
4
Make r the subject of this formula.

Chapter 5 Formulae: Evaluation and Transposition

39

5.5 Transpositions in which grouping

is required
Exercises 5.4
In each exercise below, a formula is given followed by a pronumeral in parentheses.
In each case make the pronumeral in parentheses the subject of the formula:
1
3

3  my  ky  E
n  kE


 E  K
t

(y)

(E)

x(k  n)  a  b  tx
x
x


 a  kx 


a
b

(x)
(x)

Exercises 5.5
Mechanical
In each case, make the pronumeral in parentheses the subject of the formula (express the given
pronumeral in terms of the other variables and constants). SI units are used unless otherwise
stated.
W
1 a  


(F) Efficiency of a lifting machine, where W is the load and F is the
WF
friction load.
W
b  


(V) Efficiency of a lifting machine where W is the load, V is the
E
V
velocity ratio and E is the effort force.
p.l.a.n.
2 P 


(p)
Indicated power of a cylinder, in kW, were p is the mean
1000
effective pressure, l is the length of stroke, a is the crosssectional area of the piston and n is the number of working
strokes per second.
na
Tb
3




For two gear wheels in mesh, where na, nb are the speeds of the
nb
Ta
wheels (rev/s) and Ta, Tb are the numbers of teeth on the wheels.
a
4

40

(d2)

(d1)

Dryness fraction of steam where m  mass of dry steam and

ms  mass of moisture in suspension.

(m)

Hs  cts L

(nb)

Velocity ratio of a Weston differential pulley block, where d1

and d2 are the respective diameters of the larger and smaller
pulleys in the top block.

ms
q 


m  ms
a

2d1
V 


d1  d2

a
5

(Tb)

(c)

(ms)

The specific enthalpy of dry steam where c  the specific heat

capacity of water in kJ/kg K, ts  the saturation temperature and
L  the latent heat of water, in kJ/kg.

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100(m1  mm)
P 


mm

a
8

(m1)

T  mg  m r
2

a
9

Percentage of excess air supplied to a combustion chamber,

where m1  total mass of air supplied and mm  minimum mass
of air required for total combustion of the fuel.
A mass m attached to the end of a light rod rotates in a vertical
circle. T is the tension in the rod when the mass is at the lowest
point of its path.
g  acceleration due to gravity
  angular velocity and r  radius of circle.

(r)

(H  h)Ws
n 


Wf
C

(m)

Thermal efficiency of a boiler, where

H  enthalpy of steam produced
h  enthalpy of water supplied
Ws  mass of steam produced
Wf  mass of fuel fired
C calorific value of fuel

(C)

P
M
C

i
10 i 

(Wf)

(h)

For an engine, where

i  indicated thermal efficiency

Pb
b 


M
C

b  brake thermal efficiency

m  mechanical efficiency

b
m 


i

(mm)

Pi  indicated power
Pb  brake power
M  rate of fuel consumption
C  calorific value of the fuel
Express M in terms of b, Pb and C.
b Express m in terms of Pi and Pb.

Electrical
In each exercise below, a formula is given followed by a pronumeral in parentheses. In each
case, make the pronumeral in parentheses the subject of the formula.
R2
R1

T  t2
T  t1

11



E1  E
2

E2  E
3

E
4

12





R1
R2

r(2l  d )
Rs  rd

13



(T)

Increase in resistance with temperature where T

is the inferred zero-resistance temperature.

(E)

Current equation arising from a node-voltage

solution of a network.

(d)

The Varley Loop.

14 E  Ra(I1  I2)  Rc(I1  I3) (I1)

Equation arising from application of

Kirchhoffs laws.
Chapter 5 Formulae: Evaluation and Transposition

41

R2
1  bt2




R1
1  bt1

(b)

Increase in resistance with temperature.

16 R1 

(Ra)

Delta network equivalent to a star network.

17

The total capacitance of this circuit is given by

5C1
C 


C1  5

15

RaRb  RbRc  RcRa

Rb
C1 F

5 F

Make C1 the subject of this formula.

18
L2
L1
L3

The total inductance of this circuit is L, where

1
1
1







L
L1
L2  L3
Make L3 the subject of this formula.

5.6 More transposition and evaluation

Exercises 5.6
In these exercises a formula is given.
a Evaluate the subject using the data provided.
b Change the subject to the pronumeral named.
c Evaluate the new subject using the data provided.
1

Work, W  mgh
2
a g  9.81 m/s , m  5.50 g, h  875 mm
b h
2
c g  9.81 m/s , m  2.65 t, W  27.5 MJ
Q
emf, e  iR 


C
a i  3.50 A, R  6.80 k, Q  1.65 C, C  75.0 F
b C
c Q  1.50 mC, i  645 mA, R  4.70 , e  5.35 V

Squares and square roots

mv2
3 Distance, s 


2F
a m  750 g, v  48.5 km/h, F  1.07 kN
42

CD Supplement to accompany Mathematics for Technicians

b
c
4

v
F  98.5 N, s  1.42 km, m  1.23 t

Force, T 

(mg)2 
 P2
2
a g  9.81 m/s , m  1.38 t, P  7.85 kN
b m
2
c T  3.50 N, P  950 mN, g  9.80 m/s



1
L
Frequency, f 



 R2
2L C
a L  7.00 mH, C  8.50 F, R  18.0 
b R
c L  185 mH, C  15.5 F, f  50 Hz

Grouping of like terms

6

s  vt1
Time interval, t2 


v
a s  3.62 km, v  50 km/h, t1  1 min 17 s
b v
c t1  860 s, t2  1.50 ms, s  2.14 mm
emf, E  I1R1  (I1  I2) R2
a I1  850 mA, I2  1.20 A, R1  1.50 k, R2  850 
b I1
c E  240 V, I2  14.5 A, R1  8.20 M, R2  5.60 M
I1(R1  R2)
Current, I 


R2
a R1  680 , R2  2.20 k, I1  340 mA
b R2
c I  1.05 A, I1  980 mA, R1  82.0 k

Exercises 5.7
Miscellaneous transpositions
1

Make the given pronumeral the subject of the formula:

W
a  


(a)
b L  L1  L2  2M
(aW  b)
V
c

2
Z 
R

  2
L2

(L)

Z


1
R2 


C

(M)
()

The total capacitance of this circuit is C, where:

1
1
1
1









C
C1
C1
5
a Make C the subject of this formula.
b Make C1 the subject of this formula.

Chapter 5 Formulae: Evaluation and Transposition

43

When an inductance of L henries is in series with a resistor of R , the total impedance, Z,

is given by the diagonal of the rectangle which has sides of lengths R and XL, where the
reactance of the inductor is given by XL  2f L .
Evaluate Z correct to 3 significant figures when:
a R  200  and XL  150 
b R  5.50 k and XL  3.60 k
c R  2.00 k, L  15.2 mH and f  15 kHz
R

XL

XL
R

44

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