Tension on string of submerged object.

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Homework Help Overview

The problem involves a hollow steel sphere submerged 1000 meters below the surface of the sea, requiring the calculation of the tension in a wire supporting the sphere. The context includes the densities of water and steel, as well as the effects of depth on these values.

Discussion Character

  • Exploratory, Assumption checking

Approaches and Questions Raised

  • Participants discuss the equation relating tension, buoyancy, and weight, with some questioning the relevance of the depth of 1000 meters in the calculations. Others explore how to determine the density of water at that depth.

Discussion Status

The discussion is active, with participants providing insights about the density of water at depth and its implications for the problem. There is recognition that the specified depth may not significantly affect the calculations, and some participants express confusion about the necessity of including that detail.

Contextual Notes

Participants note that the density of water is typically considered constant at depths like 1000 meters, and that variations due to compressibility or salinity are likely negligible for the purposes of this problem.

SherlockOhms
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Homework Statement


A hollow steel sphere of inner radius 0.9m and outer radius 1m is submeged 1000m below the surface of the sea. Take the density of water to be 1000 kg/m^3 and the density of steel to be 7.8 x 10^3. Calculate the tension in the wire to support the submerged sphere.


Homework Equations


B = ρ(f)V(f)g
W = mg



The Attempt at a Solution


T + B = mg.
Calculate T.
Is this correct? The 1000m below sea level is what's making me doubt myself. Should this be factored into the calculation?
 
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Your equation is correct however, I think the 1000 kg/m^3 for water they gave you would be at atmospheric pressure. You might need to get the density at 1000 m. However I don't think the value should vary by too much.
 
How would you go about calculating the density at a depth of 1000m?
 
Water is incompressible. The density of water at sea level is for all intents and purposes the same density at a depth of 1000 m.
 
According to http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Properties_of_water#Compressibility, density increase at 1km due to compression would be only about 0.5%. In practice, higher salinity would be more important. As against that, g would be a tiny bit less. I don't think you're expected to take any of that into account for this question, since it does not specify a salinity or pressure for the given density.
 
Brilliant. Thanks for that. A little confused as to why the 1000 metres was actually specified so.
 
Providing irrelevant data in a question is a practice to be endorsed. Out in the real world, most available data are irrelevant, and recognising which are relevant is an important skill.
 
That's true. Thanks for the explanations and help in general with that anyway.
 

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