Determine Length of Water & Height of Mercury Rise in U-Tube

  • Thread starter Thread starter thenewbosco
  • Start date Start date
  • Tags Tags
    Fluids
Click For Summary

Homework Help Overview

The problem involves a U-tube containing mercury and water, where the left arm has a larger cross-sectional area than the right. The original poster seeks to determine the length of the water in the right arm and the height to which mercury rises in the left arm after adding water.

Discussion Character

  • Exploratory, Assumption checking, Problem interpretation

Approaches and Questions Raised

  • The original poster calculates the length of water in the right arm but is uncertain about how to find the height of the mercury rise. Participants discuss the relationship between the volume of displaced mercury and the pressure balance in the U-tube.

Discussion Status

Participants have provided insights into the pressure dynamics and volume displacement in the U-tube. The original poster expresses appreciation for the assistance received, indicating a productive exchange, though the exact resolution is not detailed.

Contextual Notes

There is a mention of the total volume of mercury remaining unchanged and the need to consider pressure at specific depths, which suggests that assumptions about fluid behavior and equilibrium are being examined.

thenewbosco
Messages
185
Reaction score
0
Mercury is poured into a u-tube. The left arm has cross sectional area A1 = 10 cm^2, the right has area A2, 5cm^2.
100 g of water are then poured into the right arm.
determine the length of the water in the right arm and given the density of Hg = 13.6 g/cm^3, what distance h, does the mercury rise in the left arm.

i have a diagram here and have calculated the length of the water in the right arm to be 0.2 m. i don't know now how to go about calculating the height that the mercury rises though. any help?
 
Physics news on Phys.org
Remember the total volume of mercury has not changed, therefore the volume displaced on the right must be the same volume that rose a distance h.
 
At the bottom of the water column, it touches the mercury.
On the other side of the U-tube "balance", at that height,
there's an equal *Pressure* caused by mercury above it.
 
ok so i know at that depth on the right side the pressure = external pressure + densityofwater*g*0.2
so i equate this and get [tex]\rho_{Hg}gh=\rho_{water}g(0.2)[/tex]
but the h here is not the h i require, it is height i require plus some other height...
where that other height is the length displaced on the right i think??
 
If you would replace the water height
with half of the new excess mercury height,
the two sides would be the same height.
just like they started.
(see cyclovenom's post, above)
 
quite a tricky little problem, but thanks for all your help i got the correct answer now
 

Similar threads

  • · Replies 18 ·
Replies
18
Views
7K
  • · Replies 3 ·
Replies
3
Views
4K
  • · Replies 2 ·
Replies
2
Views
2K
Replies
4
Views
4K
Replies
1
Views
3K
  • · Replies 1 ·
Replies
1
Views
4K
  • · Replies 2 ·
Replies
2
Views
7K
  • · Replies 7 ·
Replies
7
Views
3K
  • · Replies 13 ·
Replies
13
Views
4K
  • · Replies 6 ·
Replies
6
Views
2K