Question

In an outcrop, we find a Belemnite fossil broken into five rectangular pieces (boudins) of equal size. Long dimension of each boudin is 1.35 cm. Gap between adjacent boudins in all cases is 0.25 cm. Note that the long dimensions of boudins are perfectly aligned. The % elongation is ....... (give answer in one decimal place).

Hint:

To calculate elongation, compare the total length after deformation with the original length and express the difference as a percentage.

Answer 1

Correct Answer: 14.7

Step 1: Understanding elongation.
Elongation is the percentage increase in length of the boudins due to stretching. It can be calculated as the ratio of the difference between the final length (after deformation) and the initial length, divided by the initial length, multiplied by 100%.
Step 2: Calculating the total length after deformation.
The total length after deformation is the sum of the long dimensions of the boudins plus the gaps between them. There are 5 boudins, so the total length after deformation is:
\[ \text{Total length after deformation} = 5 \times 1.35 + 4 \times 0.25 = 6.75 + 1.00 = 7.75 \, \text{cm} \] Step 3: Calculating the original length.
The original length is the sum of the long dimensions of the boudins before deformation: \[ \text{Original length} = 5 \times 1.35 = 6.75 \, \text{cm} \] Step 4: Calculating elongation.
The elongation is then: \[ \text{Elongation} = \frac{\text{Total length after deformation} - \text{Original length}}{\text{Original length}} \times 100 = \frac{7.75 - 6.75}{6.75} \times 100 = \frac{1.00}{6.75} \times 100 = 14.81% \] Step 5: Conclusion.
Therefore, the elongation is 14.8%.