Water Dispersion: Big vs Small Holes in Tank Bottom

[Mentallic]

In which case would water fall out of the tank faster?
1) If I were to take a tank filled with water and bore a large hole in the bottom of it with some area
2) Riddle the bottom of the tank with small holes that have an area that adds up to the area of the first big hole.

In one scenario let's assume that the material of the bottom of the tank has no thickness. What about if there is some significant thickness? Is it possible that the holes can become small enough (but numerous enough to still sum up to the required area) that no water will escape? Maybe the water molecules could be larger than the holes?

 

[Valerie Park]

In this case, water would fall out of the tank faster if you bore a large hole in the bottom of it with some area. This is because a larger hole will allow more water to escape at once, thus leading to a faster rate of flow out of the tank.

 

[sir-pinski]

In both cases, the water will fall out of the tank at the same rate. The size of the holes does not affect the rate at which water falls out of the tank, as long as the total area of the holes is the same. This is because the force of gravity pulling the water down is the same regardless of the size of the holes. The only factor that would affect the rate of water dispersion is the total area of the holes. In the first scenario, the water would all flow out of the tank through the single large hole, while in the second scenario, the water would flow out through multiple small holes, but the rate would still be the same.

The thickness of the bottom of the tank does not affect the rate of water dispersion either, as long as the holes are large enough for the water to flow through. If the holes are small enough that the water molecules cannot fit through them, then no water will escape. However, this is unlikely as water molecules are very small and can easily pass through small holes.

In summary, the size and shape of the holes do not affect the rate of water dispersion from a tank. The only factor that affects the rate is the total area of the holes. As long as the total area is the same, water will fall out of the tank at the same rate, regardless of the size or thickness of the holes.