Change of of the pressure of water inside a container

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Homework Help Overview

The discussion revolves around a hydrodynamics exercise involving the change of pressure of water inside a spherical aluminum container when the temperature of the water is raised. The original poster is uncertain about the appropriate method to calculate the pressure change, considering factors such as Laplace pressure and hydrostatic pressure, while also noting the lack of information regarding the height of the container.

Discussion Character

  • Exploratory, Assumption checking, Conceptual clarification

Approaches and Questions Raised

  • The original poster attempts to use Laplace pressure to calculate the pressure inside the container but questions whether this method is suitable given the constraints of the problem. They also consider the thickness of the aluminum and the implications of temperature changes on pressure.
  • Some participants question the relevance of surface tension in this context, suggesting that the problem may be more about thermal stress rather than surface effects.
  • There are inquiries regarding the coefficients of volume expansion for both water and aluminum, indicating a potential area of exploration for the problem.

Discussion Status

The discussion is ongoing, with various participants providing insights and questioning assumptions. Some guidance has been offered regarding the neglect of gravity and the consideration of thermal effects, but no consensus has been reached on the best approach to take.

Contextual Notes

Participants note that coefficients of volume expansion are not provided, which may affect the analysis. The original poster also mentions the academic latitude suggested by their professor, indicating a flexible approach to the problem.

Baris Kalfa
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I am having difficulty solving an exercise prepared by our professor for hydrodynamics. I am unsure if Laplace pressure is the correct way to calculate the pressure inside. It comes to my mind that I should've used the equation for hydrostatic pressure instead (##P=P_0+\rho gh##). However, the height of the container above the ground is not given. So I considered that the unknown is the pressure exerted by the water on the container walls.

Homework Statement


5 liters of water is enclosed inside a spherical container made of 1cm thick aluminum. The whole system is in thermal equilibrium at room temperature (I took it 25 degrees) and atmospheric pressure. The temperature of the water is raised by 5K. I need to find the change of pressure of the water inside the container after the change of temparature.

Homework Equations


Laplace pressure:
$$\Delta P=P_{inside}-P_{outside}=\gamma\frac{2}{r}$$
where ##\gamma## is the surface tension of the liquid and r is the radius.

The Attempt at a Solution


I first attempted to calculate the pressure inside the container using the equation for Laplace Pressure. I took ##\gamma## (surface tension of the Water) as 72 which is correct for 25 degrees Celsius. Since the aluminum container is 1cm thick, I contributed that to the radius thus; ##P_{inside}=P_{outside}+\gamma\frac{2}{(r+1cm)}##. For the increased pressure, I calculated the same, but this time with ##\gamma## for water at 30degrees Celsius (5K temp. added). Then I simply calculated the difference between these two pressures.My questions are:
1)Is my method correct for this case of aluminum container or it only works on expanding bubbles?
2)What should I have done regarding the thickness of the aluminum?
3) Is there another way to calculate the pressure difference?
 
Physics news on Phys.org
Expansivities of H2O and Al are equal?
 
Bystander said:
Expansivities of H2O and Al are equal?
The coefficients of volume expansion are not given. Are you hinting I should be working on towards that area?
 
Baris Kalfa said:
coefficients of volume expansion are not given
It's a thought;
Baris Kalfa said:
our professor for hydrodynamics
implies some degree of academic freedom/latitude.
 
I meant exercise for hydrodynamics prepared by our professor. Excuse me for that please.
 
Baris Kalfa said:
our professor
Yes, by your professor.
 
If that's not how I should be saying it, I meant that as "the lecturer that was assigned for our Physics II class". The figures of speech can vary in different languages. I'm studying in Europe, please pardon me for my mistake.
 
You should not be considering surface tension, since there is no free surface. This is a thermal stress problem, involving the aluminum. I guess you are supposed to (a) neglect gravity and (b) assume that the water temperature increases, but not the aluminum temperature. The first step is to determine the inside radius of the sphere. What is the value of that radius. If the water were not constrained by the aluminum sphere but, instead, were able to expand freely, how much would the radius increase under the temperature increase of 5C?
 
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