- #1
bananabandana
- 113
- 5
Homework Statement
Please see attached.
Part ii)
Homework Equations
The Attempt at a Solution
So I try to conserve volume as it suggests in the hint. I take the initial volume of the region to be given by:
$$ h \times \delta x \times l = (\delta x + \eta) (h+\Psi) l $$
Where l is just some fixed, constant length which can immediately be canceled. Expanding:
$$ \Psi \delta x = - \eta (\psi + h) $$
But ## h>> \psi \implies (\psi+h) \approx h ##
$$ \Psi \delta x = - \eta h $$
For small values of ## \eta ## (which is implied by the fact that ## \psi ## is small? ) we can make the statement:
$$ \eta \approx \frac{\partial \eta}{ \partial x} \delta x $$
So that:
$$ \Psi \approx - h\frac{\partial \eta}{\partial x} $$
Well, I got to the result, but I'm just not sure that this approach is correct - for instance should I not put ## \delta \Psi## instead of ## \Psi## - but then I have second differentials and I get the wrong answer... - also not entirely sure how to justify the assumption that if ## h >> \psi ## then ## \eta ## must be small... or is that okay because we are just approximating?
Thanks!