Hieght of a volume in a cylinder on its side, with known volume.

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SUMMARY

The discussion focuses on calculating the height (h) of liquid in a horizontally positioned cylinder given its volume (V), length (L), and radius (R). The user has a formula for volume as a function of these parameters but encounters difficulties when attempting to isolate h. The relevant equation involves the inverse cosine function, specifically \cos^{-1}(\frac{R-h}{R}), which complicates the algebraic manipulation. The user seeks alternative methods, potentially involving calculus, to derive h directly.

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  • Understanding of cylindrical geometry and volume calculations
  • Familiarity with algebraic manipulation and polynomial expansion
  • Knowledge of trigonometric functions, particularly inverse cosine
  • Basic calculus concepts for exploring alternative solutions
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  • Explore calculus techniques for solving for height in cylindrical volumes
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Students, engineers, and mathematicians involved in fluid dynamics, geometric calculations, or any professionals needing to determine liquid heights in cylindrical containers.

GeorgeWBush
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This is my first post and is for an applied project (not for a class) but I thought this was the best place to ask for help.


Homework Statement


Given a cylindar on its side, with volume V, length L, and Radius R, what is height (h) of liquid. I have fomula for volume as a function of radius, length, and height, but when I try to solve for h, things get difficult.


Homework Equations


CylindricalSegment_1002.gif

and
http://mathworld.wolfram.com/images/equations/CylindricalSegment/equation2.gif

The Attempt at a Solution


1) divide both sides by L
2) square both sides
3) expand polynomials
4) get stuck, post this message
 
Last edited by a moderator:
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Did you come up with that formula or was it provided and you have to solve for h?

\cos^{-1}(\frac{R-h}{R})=\frac{\mbox{adjacent}}{\mbox{hypotenuse}}
 
Last edited:
It was provided for me and I'm trying to solve for h. It is possible that there is a different approach to the problem that solves for h directly (via caluclus) but I have not found it.
 

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