If this hand water pump was instead at the bottom of a well....

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SUMMARY

The discussion centers on the mechanics of water movement using a hand pump, specifically the force required to lift water from different depths. Participants agree that the force needed to pump water is determined by the height of the water column rather than the weight of the water above the pump. The analogy of using a straw to draw liquid from a glass versus a lake illustrates that the effort required remains consistent regardless of the water source, as long as the column height is the same. The key takeaway is that the force exerted is solely dependent on the column of liquid being moved.

PREREQUISITES
  • Understanding of fluid mechanics principles
  • Basic knowledge of pressure and force concepts
  • Familiarity with hand pump mechanics
  • Ability to visualize fluid columns and their effects on force
NEXT STEPS
  • Research the principles of Pascal's Law in fluid mechanics
  • Explore the mechanics of hand pumps and their efficiency
  • Study the relationship between pressure, force, and fluid column height
  • Investigate real-world applications of fluid dynamics in engineering
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Engineers, physics students, and anyone interested in understanding the principles of fluid mechanics and the operation of hand pumps.

RipleyGallegos
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Seems to me what matters is the force required to get the water up and I don't see why that would be any different whether you were pulling it up or pushing it up. The height of the water column is the same either way.
 
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phinds said:
Seems to me what matters is the force required to get the water up and I don't see why that would be any different whether you were pulling it up or pushing it up. The height of the water column is the same either way.

Okay Thank you! What if the little lever only pumped 1 gallon per stroke at like only 10lbs of pressure. & say his was a well with 500 gallons in it. From the top it seems there isn't much of any water weighing down on the piston so that the lever is very easy to push n pull.
If the piston is on the bottom doesn't it seem like we than would have 500 gallons weighing down on it? It seems to me that it would take much more force to pump that 1 gallon from the bottom. Hmm
 
Suppose you have a straw two feet long and you stick it 1.5' into a very tall glass and suck up the liquid in the glass. That takes a certain amount of force. Now stick the same straw 1.5' into a lake and suck up the lake water. I think you logic would say that the latter requires more effort but of course it doesn't. What matters is the column of water being moved.
 
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phinds said:
Suppose you have a straw two feet long and you stick it 1.5' into a very tall glass and suck up the liquid in the glass. That takes a certain amount of force. Now stick the same straw 1.5' into a lake and suck up the lake water. I think you logic would say that the latter requires more effort but of course it doesn't. What matters is the column of water being moved.

Wow that's a really great way of putting it! But do you think sucking or pumping up is equivalent to pushing or lifting up?
 
RipleyGallegos said:
Wow that's a really great way of putting it! But do you think sucking or pumping up is equivalent to pushing or lifting up?
Yes, if you are talking about exerting a force on a specific column of liquid. Again, all that matters is the amount of liquid being moved. If you are pushing up a 1cm diameter column of water it makes no difference whether that column is surrounded by a glass full of water or an ocean full of water.
 
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phinds said:
Yes, if you are talking about exerting a force on a specific column of liquid. Again, all that matters is the amount of liquid being moved. If you are pushing up a 1cm diameter column of water it makes no difference whether that column is surrounded by a glass full of water or an ocean full of water.

Thank you very much phinds!
 

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