Geology 314
F2010 – Problem Set 1
OUT: 24 September
DUE: 1 October
1. A cylindrical sample of rock has a length of 41.25 cm and a diameter of 7.515 cm. The mass of the
sample is 4375.0 g. Find (a) the dry density (dry) in g/cm3 and (b) the average particle density (s) in
g/cm3, and c) the unit weight of the rock in kN/m3.
2. Calculate the porosity of a rock that is 50.0% quartz ( = 2.65 g/cm3) and 50.0% muscovite ( = 2.85
g/cm3), and has a dry density of 2.00 g/cm3.
3. A block of rock has edge lengths, 1.22 m, 2.40 m, 1.81 m. When dry its mass is 14.7 x106g (or 14.7
Mg); when saturated with water its mass is 16.6 Mg. Find a) the volume of water in the rock when
saturated, and b) the porosity of the rock.
4. A block of oil shale with a volume of 0.774 m3 is saturated with 0.311 m3 of oil. The unit weight of the
saturated oil shale is 27.8 kN/m3. After all the oil has been driven out of the rock, the unit weight of the
rock is 25.2 kN/m3. Find the specific gravity of the oil.
5. A dry oil shale has a unit weight of 25.8 kN/m3. When saturated with oil of specific gravity 0.650, the
shale has unit weight of 29.3 kN/m3. How many barrels of oil can be extracted from 7400 m3 of saturated
oil shale? (1 barrel = 119,300 cm3 or 0.119300 m3).
6. Contaminated soil waste of porosity 37.2% is dumped into a rectangular shaped trench having a height
of 5.25 m. Over time the soil compacts to a new height of 4.77 m. Find the new porosity.
7. A granite tombstone 0.25 m x 1.0 m x 1.0 m has a density of 2650.36 kg/m3 and a weight of 6.50 kN at
a temperature of -10.00 oC while sitting in the desert night. If the temperature increases to 45.0 oC during
the day, find its new density. Assume its coefficient of volume expansion () is 36.0 x 10-6/oC.