DE: Unit Cancellations Not Making sense

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Homework Help Overview

The problem involves a hydrodynamic experiment with a tank containing a dye solution. The task is to determine the time required for the dye concentration to decrease to 1% of its original value as fresh water is introduced and the solution is drained at the same rate.

Discussion Character

  • Exploratory, Assumption checking

Approaches and Questions Raised

  • Participants discuss the meaning of variables in the context of the problem, particularly the definition of Q and dQ. There is a focus on unit consistency in the equation provided.

Discussion Status

The discussion is ongoing, with participants clarifying the definitions of variables and questioning the correctness of unit cancellations in the equation. Some guidance has been offered regarding the units involved.

Contextual Notes

There is a noted ambiguity regarding the variable Q and its units, which may affect the understanding of the problem setup.

dillonmhudson
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Homework Statement


Consider a tank used in certain hydrodynamic experiments. After one experiment the tank contains 200 liters of a dye solution with a concentration of 1 g/liter. To prepare for the next experiment, the tank is to be rinsed with fresh water flowing in at a rate of 2 liters/min, the well-stirred solution flowing out at the same rate. Find the time that will elapse before the concentration of dye in the tank reaches 1% of its original value.

Homework Equations


\frac{dQ}{dt}=rate in - rate out

The Attempt at a Solution


Why the heck do they cancel units incorrectly?
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Hard to say until you tell us what the heck Q is.
 
Q is the amount of dye in the tank.
dQ is the rate of change of the amount of dye in the tank.
 
dillonmhudson said:
Q is the amount of dye in the tank.
dQ is the rate of change of the amount of dye in the tank.

Then all the terms in your equation should have units of grams of dye per minute. I think the Q/100 l/min should be g/min. Probably a typo.
 
Ok that's what I was hoping - thank you.
 

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