How much work is required to empty the tank?

  • Context: Undergrad 
  • Thread starter Thread starter unggio
  • Start date Start date
  • Tags Tags
    Empty Tank Work
Click For Summary

Discussion Overview

The discussion revolves around calculating the work required to empty a hemispherical tank of radius 6 meters filled with water, considering the density of the liquid. Participants explore different approaches to the problem, including the use of geometric equations and integration techniques.

Discussion Character

  • Technical explanation
  • Mathematical reasoning
  • Debate/contested

Main Points Raised

  • One participant presents an initial calculation using the equation of a circle and integration to find the work done, arriving at a specific numerical answer.
  • Another participant questions the formulation of the problem, suggesting that if the tank were simply punctured, no work would be required, and proposes a method to calculate the work done by lifting layers of water to the top of the tank.
  • A later reply clarifies the intention to pump water out from the top and critiques the previous calculation, suggesting a different approach to the integration and emphasizing the importance of the height lifted.
  • One participant expresses confusion regarding the responses received and indicates a preference for a simpler two-dimensional approach over spherical coordinates.

Areas of Agreement / Disagreement

Participants express differing views on the formulation of the problem and the methods used to calculate the work required. There is no consensus on the correct approach or final answer, as multiple competing views remain.

Contextual Notes

Some assumptions about the method of emptying the tank and the coordinate system used are not universally accepted, leading to different interpretations of the problem. The discussion includes unresolved mathematical steps and varying approaches to integration.

unggio
Messages
23
Reaction score
0
need help, VERY CHALLENGING

a hemispherical tank of radius 6 meters, is posiitoned so that its base is circular. how much work is required to empty the tank?
liquid density is 100 kg/ m^3
 
Last edited:
Physics news on Phys.org
i use equation of a circle to calculate the radius

circle is
[tex]x^2 + (y-6)^2=6^2=36[/tex]
therefore
[tex]r=\sqrt {36 - (y-6)^2}[/tex]

[tex]volume= \pi r^2[/tex]
F=mg
F=vol * density * gravity

[tex]9.8 * 100 * \pi \int_0^6 (36 - (y-6)^2)y dy[/tex]

ansewr i get is: 16625308 joules
 
Last edited:
I presume you mean "the radius of the circle formed by the surface of the water at different heights".

And, by the way, the problem is not "well formed". If you just punch a hole in the bottom, the tank will empty without any work being done. I presume that the problem says to empty the tank by pumping it out the top.

Here's how I would think about it:

Of course, the work done lifting a mass m a height h is mgh. Imagine a "layer of water" of thickness dz at height z. That layer will be a circle of radius, say, r. It will have volume [tex]\pi r^2 dz[/tex] and so weight [tex]98\pi r^2dz[/tex]. That water has to be lifted a distance 6-z to the top of the tank: the work done on that one "layer" of water is [tex]\pi (6-z)r^2 dz[/tex].

Now we need to determine r2: x2+ y2+ z2= 36. Since r is measured parallel to the xy-plane, r2= x2+ y2= 36- z2. Putting that into the formula above:
[tex]\pi (6-z)(36-z^2)dz[/tex].
We need to integrate that from z= 0 to z= 6 to cover the entire tank:
[tex]\int_0^6\pi(6-z)(36-z^2)dz= \pi\int_0^6(216- 36z-6z^2+ z^3)dz[/tex].

That is not what you have. Did you forget the height lifted?
 
Last edited by a moderator:
yes i meant to say the work needed to pump out water from the top.

i don't think you did it correctly. i inverted my coordinates upside down so that the +y direction is towards the base of the hemisphere, also there's no need to use spherical coordinates, using 2-d is simpler. W=F*D, my D (dist) is y. i start out pumping the top layer, then i move down to the bottom layer. as i pump out each layer the water travels a distance of y from the origin. origin is the top of the tank.

i'm surprised that i only received one response, i thought everybody in the math forum was good at this stuff.
 

Similar threads

  • · Replies 2 ·
Replies
2
Views
3K
Replies
1
Views
4K
  • · Replies 1 ·
Replies
1
Views
2K
Replies
1
Views
6K
  • · Replies 2 ·
Replies
2
Views
2K
  • · Replies 2 ·
Replies
2
Views
2K
  • · Replies 22 ·
Replies
22
Views
4K
Replies
1
Views
2K
Replies
9
Views
4K
  • · Replies 4 ·
Replies
4
Views
2K