In this lab you will use Excel to plot a distance x on the vertical axis and the inverse of mass m on the horizontal axis. That is, a plot of x versus 1 m. Plotted this way, the data falls on a straight line. If x is in centimeters and m is in grams, what are the units of the slope of the line?

Question

Mathematics

Karsyn Leblanc

3 June, 08:23

In this lab you will use Excel to plot a distance x on the vertical axis and the inverse of mass m on the horizontal axis. That is, a plot of x versus 1 m. Plotted this way, the data falls on a straight line. If x is in centimeters and m is in grams, what are the units of the slope of the line?

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Lance Barton · Answer 1

When you find the gradient (slope) of a graph, you divide a change of value on the vertical-axis (the 'rise') by a change of value on the horizontal axis (the 'run').

Gradient = rise/run.

The vertical axis has units of cm, so the rise in in cm.

The horizontal axis has units of 1/grams = g⁻¹, so the rise is in g⁻¹.

units for slip are

rise/run ≡ cm/g⁻¹ ≡ cm. g