Evaporation from a swimming pool

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SUMMARY

The discussion focuses on calculating the energy required to evaporate water from a swimming pool measuring 119 m² in area and 2.4 m in depth, using a latent heat of vaporization of 2200 kJ/kg. The total energy required is established as 628,320,000,000 J. The participant incorrectly applies the formula I = Q/t, mistaking it for electrical current, leading to an erroneous calculation of evaporation time as 7005.99 days instead of correctly interpreting the intensity of sunlight at 1038 W/m².

PREREQUISITES
  • Understanding of latent heat of vaporization
  • Familiarity with energy calculations in joules
  • Knowledge of solar intensity measurements in watts per square meter
  • Basic algebra for solving equations
NEXT STEPS
  • Review the concept of latent heat and its application in phase changes
  • Learn how to convert energy units from joules to kilojoules
  • Study the relationship between power, energy, and time using the formula P = E/t
  • Explore the effects of environmental factors on evaporation rates
USEFUL FOR

Students in physics or environmental science, educators teaching thermodynamics, and anyone interested in understanding energy dynamics related to evaporation processes.

jabbie3
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Homework Statement



A) How much energy is required to evaporate all the water in a swimming pool of area 119 m2 and depth 2.4 m on a typical summer day? (Please note that the temperature of the water in the lake stays the same.) (For latent heat of vaporization use 2200 kJ/kg.)

B) The intensity of sunlight is about 1038 W/m2. If all the energy is absorbed by the water in the pool, how long will it take the water to evaporate?

Homework Equations



I got part A which is 628320000000 J. That is correct. It's part B that I can't solve.

I know I use I=Q/t and solve for t.

The Attempt at a Solution



When i solve for t I get 605317919.1 s.

Im pretty sure it is in seconds so I convert it to days and i get 7005.99 days.

THIS ISNT CORRECT! IDK what I am doing wrong..any guidance or input will be greatly appreciated.

THANKS!:smile:
 
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jabbie3 said:
I know I use I=Q/t and solve for t.

This is incorrect because it is the equation for electrical current. You are given the intensity I = 1038 W/(m^2). Look at the units. What terms are associated with "W" and "m^2"?
 

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