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Ch 14: Fluids and Elasticity
Chapter 14, Problem 14

An unknown liquid flows smoothly through a 6.0-mm-diameter horizontal tube where the pressure gradient is 600 Pa/m. Then the tube diameter gradually shrinks to 3.0 mm. What is the pressure gradient in this narrower portion of the tube?

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Key Concepts

Here are the essential concepts you must grasp in order to answer the question correctly.

Continuity Equation

The Continuity Equation states that for an incompressible fluid flowing through a pipe, the mass flow rate must remain constant. This implies that as the diameter of the tube decreases, the velocity of the fluid must increase to maintain the same flow rate. Mathematically, it can be expressed as A1V1 = A2V2, where A is the cross-sectional area and V is the fluid velocity.
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Bernoulli's Principle

Bernoulli's Principle relates the pressure, velocity, and height of a fluid in steady flow. It states that an increase in the fluid's velocity occurs simultaneously with a decrease in pressure or potential energy. This principle is crucial for understanding how pressure changes in different sections of a tube, especially when the diameter changes.
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Pressure Gradient

The pressure gradient is defined as the change in pressure per unit length in a fluid flow, typically expressed in Pascals per meter (Pa/m). It indicates how pressure varies along the flow direction and is essential for analyzing fluid dynamics in pipes. In this scenario, the pressure gradient will change as the fluid moves from a wider to a narrower section of the tube.
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