Classic watertank equation

  • Thread starter cpx
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In summary, the conversation is about a problem with the classic watertank equation and how to solve it. The tank contains 300 liters of saline water with 1800 grams of salt. Through an inlet, saline water with 5 grams/liter is pumped in at a speed of 2 liters/minute, while the well-mixed solution is pumped out at a speed of 3 liters/minute. The task is to compute the quantity of salt, in grams, after 100 minutes. After discussing different approaches and potential mistakes, it is determined that the correct solution is S(100)≈1089 grams of salt.
  • #1
cpx
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[SOLVED] Classic watertank equation

I'm having trouble with a variant of the classic watertank equation. The data is as follows.
A tank contains 300 liters of saline water, containing a total of 1800 grams of salt. Through an inlet, saline water containing 5 grams/liter is pumped in at a speed of 2 liters/minute. The well-mixed solution is pumped out at a speed of 3 liters/minute. Compute the quantity of salt, in grams, after 100 minutes.

Here's my attempt at solving this:
[tex]
V(t)=300-t
[/tex]

[tex]
\frac{dS}{dt}=10t-3\frac{S}{V}
[/tex]

[tex]
S(0)=1800
[/tex]

Running it in the ODE Analyzer in MAPLE got me [tex]S(100)\approx33867[/tex], which isn't the solution. Can anyone spot what I've done wrong?
 
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  • #2
I don't see anything wrong with the setup. On the other hand if I integrate it I don't get 33867. Check your MAPLE setup. What are you supposed to get?
 
  • #3
Is it supposed to be 1089? I think the rate in should be just 10 and not 10t.
 
  • #4
Vid said:
Is it supposed to be 1089? I think the rate in should be just 10 and not 10t.

Ooops. That's correct. I missed that! No wonder I didn't get 33867.
 
  • #5
Ah! Of course it should be just 10. I'm also getting 1089 now.

Unfortunately though, this doesn't seem to be the correct answer either. I don't have access to the correct solution; the task is available in a web form and it only returns whether the solution is correct or not. So either there's something else we've all missed, or the task is misformulated or the stored solution incorrect :frown:

In any case, thanks for the help! :)
 
  • #6
Well, the exact solution is 1088.89 or at least that's what mathematica tells me. A lot of web based assignments are finicky about these things.
 
  • #7
Vid said:
Well, the exact solution is 1088.89 or at least that's what mathematica tells me. A lot of web based assignments are finicky about these things.

I didn't use numerics and got 9800/9. Where you supposed to approximate it? You can do it exactly.
 
  • #8
Nope. It's supposed to be rounded to the nearest integer..
 
  • #9
cpx said:
I'm having trouble with a variant of the classic watertank equation. The data is as follows.
A tank contains 300 liters of saline water, containing a total of 1800 grams of salt. Through an inlet, saline water containing 5 grams/liter is pumped in at a speed of 2 liters/minute. The well-mixed solution is pumped out at a speed of 3 liters/minute. Compute the quantity of salt, in grams, after 100 minutes.

Here's my attempt at solving this:
[tex]
V(t)=300-t
[/tex]

[tex]
\frac{dS}{dt}=10t-3\frac{S}{V}
[/tex]
Through the inlet, 10 grams of salt is coming in each minute. That first term should be "10" not "10t".

[tex]
S(0)=1800
[/tex]

Running it in the ODE Analyzer in MAPLE got me [tex]S(100)\approx33867[/tex], which isn't the solution. Can anyone spot what I've done wrong?
 
  • #10
It turned out the web assignment had the wrong answer stored. It's fixed now and the solution [tex]S(100)\approx1089[/tex] is correct. Thanks for the help! :)
 

1. What is the Classic Watertank Equation?

The Classic Watertank Equation is a mathematical equation used to calculate the rate at which water drains from a tank. It takes into account the cross-sectional area of the tank, the height of the water level, and the size of the hole at the bottom of the tank.

2. How is the Classic Watertank Equation derived?

The Classic Watertank Equation is derived from the principles of fluid dynamics and conservation of mass. It uses Bernoulli's equation to calculate the velocity of the water leaving the tank, which is then used to determine the rate of water flow.

3. Can the Classic Watertank Equation be used for any shaped tank?

No, the Classic Watertank Equation is specifically designed for cylindrical tanks with a single outlet at the bottom. It cannot be used for tanks with irregular shapes or multiple outlets.

4. What are the units of measurement used in the Classic Watertank Equation?

The units used in the Classic Watertank Equation depend on the units used for the input variables. Typically, the cross-sectional area is measured in square meters, the height of the water level is measured in meters, and the size of the hole is measured in meters squared per second.

5. How accurate is the Classic Watertank Equation?

The Classic Watertank Equation is an idealized model and does not account for all real-world factors such as friction, turbulence, and variations in water density. Therefore, it may not be completely accurate, but it can provide a good approximation for simple systems.

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