Mixing Tank, Differential Equations Problem

bdh2991
Messages
102
Reaction score
0

Homework Statement



a larg tank is filled with 500 gals of water with 400lbs of salt. pure water is pumped into the tank at a rate of 3gal/min. the well mixed solution is pumped out at a rate of 7 gal/min.

I need help finding the Differential

Homework Equations





The Attempt at a Solution



I tried coming up with the D.E. and this is what i got dA/dt = 3 - 7A/(500-t)

except after i did solved the d.e. i kept getting more salt than i started with which makes no sense...

Please Help lol
 
Physics news on Phys.org
bdh2991 said:

Homework Statement



a larg tank is filled with 500 gals of water with 400lbs of salt. pure water is pumped into the tank at a rate of 3gal/min. the well mixed solution is pumped out at a rate of 7 gal/min.

I need help finding the Differential

Homework Equations





The Attempt at a Solution



I tried coming up with the D.E. and this is what i got dA/dt = 3 - 7A/(500-t)

except after i did solved the d.e. i kept getting more salt than i started with which makes no sense...

Please Help lol

Your denominator is wrong. How is rate out defined?
 
fauboca said:
Your denominator is wrong. How is rate out defined?

not sure lol...i went off of a similar problem that was gaining instead of losing...

i know that it is supposed to be the flow rate out multiplied by the concentration out but i don't understand how to get the concentration of salt exiting the tank...
 
bdh2991 said:
not sure lol...i went off of a similar problem that was gaining instead of losing...

i know that it is supposed to be the flow rate out multiplied by the concentration out but i don't understand how to get the concentration of salt exiting the tank...

R_{out} = -t(7gal/min - 3gal/min) = -4t

Where you have 500-t. I didn't check over the rest of you equation but that was what was immediate obvious.
 
ok so instead i should have A/(-4t) rather than A/(500-t)?
 
bdh2991 said:
ok so instead i should have A/(-4t) rather than A/(500-t)?

No, why would you disregard the amount of solution?
 
i guess I'm misunderstanding what you are saying...it would help more if you just showed me what the equation should look like
 
bdh2991 said:
i guess I'm misunderstanding what you are saying...it would help more if you just showed me what the equation should look like

I could have phrased it better.

When you are dealing with mixtures, you denominators is

\frac{A}{sol+(R_{in}-R_{out})t}

When inflow and out flow are the same, we just have A/sol in gallons.

Your R_{in}=3 and out=7 so (3-7)t = -4t.

So what is the denominator?
 
A/500-(-4t)

so A/500+4t?
 
  • #10
it can't be that because i just tried it and it didn't come out right
 
  • #11
fauboca said:
I could have phrased it better.

When you are dealing with mixtures, you denominators is

\frac{A}{sol+(R_{in}-R_{out})t}

When inflow and out flow are the same, we just have A/sol in gallons.

Your R_{in}=3 and out=7 so (3-7)t = -4t.

So what is the denominator?

500+(-4t) = 500-4t
 
  • #12
ok i made some dumb mistakes but i finally got what i needed thanks!
 
Back
Top