Calculating Air Speed & Water Height in Straws

AI Thread Summary
The discussion revolves around calculating air speed and water height in straws based on lung capacity tests. The speed of air in a straw with a diameter of 0.60 cm was determined to be 53 m/s using the formula for flow rate. For the second part, participants debated the application of Bernoulli's equation to find the height water rises in a vertical straw when air is blown horizontally across it. Confusion arose regarding pressure assumptions and calculations, with one user calculating a pressure difference of 1812 Pascals but struggling to relate it to the height of water. The conversation highlights the need for clarity in applying fluid dynamics principles to solve the problem accurately.
ruffkilla
Messages
9
Reaction score
0

Homework Statement


Tests of lung capacity show that adults are able to exhale 1.5 liters of air through their mouths in as little as 1.0 seconds. a)if a person blows air at this rate through a drinking straw with a diameter of 0.60 cm, what is the speed of air in the straw? b) if the air from the straw in part (a) is directer horizontally across the upper end of a second straw that is vertical in water, to what height does water rise in the vertical straw.


Homework Equations





The Attempt at a Solution


i have found the answer to part (a) and it is 53 m/s and it is correct. however, i have no idea how to approach b. any help would be great.
 
Physics news on Phys.org
i think you need to use Bernoulli's eqn. The velocity of the airstream across the other straw will reduce the ambient pressure.
 
i tried that, but I am not sure exactly how it works. i got something like 140 cm when the answer is 19 cm.
 
Perhaps if you showed your work, we could give you a hand...
 
for a) i got the radius of straw r=.003 m
area and 1.5 L is .0015 m^3. Divide cubic meters by area of straw, and got 53.1 m/s

But for part b) How do you use Bernoulli's eqn? Do you assume the pressure at the top of the straw is appoxamately zero, since the air is being blown off?
 
When I assume that, I get a little over 10 meters... and that can't be right.
 
No, Bernoulli's law connects the speed of air across the straw with the pressure. Use Bernoulli's law to calculate the pressure.
 
so do I use the equation twice?
101.3 kPa = Pressure + (.5*1.29*53*53)

Pressure = 99488 Pascals

and then plug that in using water's density as rho the next time?
 
I got the difference in pressure as being 1812 Pacals.

so that equals 1000kg/m3 * 9.8 m/s * delta h ?

the height is .1848 meters?
 
  • #10
That doesn't make sense still.
 
Back
Top