Does a waterfall have a higher temperature at the bottom ?

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SUMMARY

The discussion centers on the temperature of water at the bottom of a waterfall, specifically whether it is higher due to increased kinetic energy (KE) as described by the equation KE = (2/3)kT. Participants assert that while the water may be slightly warmer at the bottom, this is not solely due to kinetic energy from the waterfall's motion. The conversation also touches on the broader implications of kinetic energy from Earth's rotation and translation, but ultimately concludes that these factors are not relevant to the temperature increase observed at the waterfall's base.

PREREQUISITES
  • Understanding of kinetic energy and its relation to temperature.
  • Familiarity with thermodynamic principles, specifically the equation KE = (2/3)kT.
  • Basic knowledge of fluid dynamics and water behavior in free fall.
  • Conceptual grasp of Earth's rotational and translational motion.
NEXT STEPS
  • Research the principles of thermodynamics and temperature measurement in fluids.
  • Explore the effects of kinetic energy on temperature in various physical systems.
  • Investigate fluid dynamics related to waterfalls and energy dissipation.
  • Examine the impact of Earth's motion on environmental phenomena.
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Students and professionals in physics, environmental science, and engineering, particularly those interested in thermodynamics and fluid dynamics.

DLeuPel
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So we have that KE= (2/3)kT , meaning that if I increase the kinetic energy of water, it will become hotter, I searched it and it says that at the bottom of the waterfall, the water is slightly hotter. Of course I imagine that when they refer to the bottom, they refer to a part of the waterfall that is still falling. If this is true, then why don’t we consider the KE of Earths rotation, translation, etc ?
 
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DLeuPel said:
Of course I imagine that when they refer to the bottom, they refer to a part of the waterfall that is still falling.

I suspect that isn't correct
Consider why it might be so
Edit
Actually, thinking about it, there's 2 possibilities for why it would be warmer at the bottom ...
 
davenn said:
I suspect that isn't correct
Consider why it might be so
Edit
Actually, thinking about it, there's 2 possibilities for why it would be warmer at the bottom ...
This question is related with the definition of what is temperature regarding the movement of molecules. This of course translates to kinetic energy but that would mean that the Earths rotation, translation, etc should be considered as KE
 
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DLeuPel said:
This question is related with the definition of what is temperature regarding the movement of molecules. This of course translates to kinetic energy but that would mean that the Earths rotation, translation, etc should be considered as KE
This question was correctly answered for you yesterday in your other thread -- what you are saying is not correct. Please just accept the answer instead of starting a new thread to try to make the answer go away. Thread closed.
 
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