How to Calculate Water Velocity and Pressure in a Building's Plumbing System?

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SUMMARY

The discussion focuses on calculating water velocity and pressure in a building's plumbing system, specifically using a main pipe with a diameter of 4.00 cm and a faucet with a diameter of 2.00 cm. The water fills a 28.0 L container in 30.0 seconds, leading to a calculated water velocity of approximately 23.7 m/s at the faucet. The gauge pressure in the main pipe can be determined using the equations for pressure, density, gravitational acceleration, and height difference between the faucet and the main pipe.

PREREQUISITES
  • Understanding of fluid dynamics principles
  • Knowledge of pressure calculations using the formula pressure = density * g * h
  • Ability to convert units, particularly from liters to cubic meters
  • Familiarity with basic physics concepts related to force and area
NEXT STEPS
  • Study the continuity equation for fluid flow in pipes
  • Learn about Bernoulli's principle and its applications in plumbing systems
  • Explore the concept of gauge pressure versus absolute pressure
  • Investigate the effects of pipe diameter on flow rate and velocity
USEFUL FOR

Engineers, plumbing professionals, and students studying fluid mechanics will benefit from this discussion, particularly those involved in designing or analyzing building plumbing systems.

Keithkent09
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Homework Statement


The water supply of a building is fed through a main pipe 4.00 cm in diameter. A 2.00 cm diameter faucet tap, located 2.10 m above the main pipe, is observed to fill a 28.0 L container in 30.0 s.
(a) What is the speed at which the water leaves the faucet?

(b) What is the gauge pressure in the 4.00 cm main pipe? (Assume the faucet is the only "leak" in the building.)


Homework Equations


pressure=density*g*h
pressure=F/A


The Attempt at a Solution


I really did not know where to start with this problem. I think the velocity is just supposed to be found by converting liters into meters. I think the conversion factor is about 3.18, with that I got the velocity to be about 23.7 m/s. I was not sure how to handle part b of the problem.
 
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Two quick comments:

(1) Reduce all dimensions to the same units, say meters.

(2) You can't convert liters (a volume) into meters (a length)
 
I actually figured this problem out and got the correct answer thanks for your help.
 

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