A water tank of height h has a small hole at height y. The water is replenished to keep h from changing. The water squirting from the hole has range π. The range approaches zero as y β 0 because the water squirts right onto the ground. The range also approaches zero as y β h because the horizontal velocity becomes zero. Thus there must be some height y between 0 and h for which the range is a maximum. (a) Find an algebraic expression for the flow speed v with which the water exits the hole at height y.
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Identify the relevant physical principles: The problem involves the application of Bernoulli's equation and Torricelli's law. Bernoulli's equation relates the pressure, velocity, and height of a fluid in steady flow. Torricelli's law is a special case of Bernoulli's equation and describes the speed of a fluid flowing out of an opening.
Apply Bernoulli's equation to the water in the tank and at the hole: Bernoulli's equation states that P + \(\frac{1}{2}\)\(\rho\)v^2 + \(\rho\)gh = constant, where P is the pressure, \(\rho\) is the density of the fluid, v is the velocity of the fluid, g is the acceleration due to gravity, and h is the height above a reference level.
Assume the water surface is at atmospheric pressure and the hole is also exposed to atmospheric pressure, which simplifies the equation as the pressure terms cancel out. The equation then simplifies to \(\frac{1}{2}\)\(\rho\)v_1^2 + \(\rho\)gh_1 = \(\frac{1}{2}\)\(\rho\)v_2^2 + \(\rho\)gh_2, where subscripts 1 and 2 refer to the water surface and the hole, respectively.
Solve for the velocity v_2 (velocity of water exiting the hole) using the heights h_1 (height of water in the tank) and h_2 (height y of the hole above the bottom): Since h_1 = h and h_2 = y, the equation becomes \(\frac{1}{2}\)\(\rho\)v_1^2 + \(\rho\)gh = \(\frac{1}{2}\)\(\rho\)v_2^2 + \(\rho\)gy. Assuming the velocity at the water surface (v_1) is approximately zero due to the large cross-sectional area of the tank compared to the hole, the equation simplifies to gh = \(\frac{1}{2}\)v_2^2 + gy.
Isolate v_2 and simplify to find the expression for the flow speed v as a function of y: v_2 = \sqrt{2g(h - y)}. This is the speed with which water exits the hole at height y.
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Key Concepts
Here are the essential concepts you must grasp in order to answer the question correctly.
Bernoulli's Principle
Bernoulli's Principle states that in a flowing fluid, an increase in the fluid's speed occurs simultaneously with a decrease in pressure or potential energy. This principle is crucial for understanding how the speed of water exiting a hole in a tank is influenced by the height of the water column above the hole, as the potential energy converts into kinetic energy.
Torricelli's Law is derived from Bernoulli's Principle and states that the speed of efflux of a fluid under the force of gravity through an orifice is proportional to the square root of the height of the fluid above the orifice. This law provides the mathematical foundation to calculate the flow speed v of water exiting the hole at height y.
Projectile motion refers to the motion of an object that is thrown or projected into the air, subject only to the acceleration of gravity. In this context, understanding projectile motion is essential for analyzing the range π of the water squirting from the hole, as it determines how far the water travels horizontally before hitting the ground, depending on its initial velocity and the angle of exit.