What happens when vacuum is applied to an elastic tube filled with tap water?

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SUMMARY

Applying vacuum to an elastic tube filled with tap water results in significant phenomena, including water brimming over the open end and the formation of an air bubble within the tube. These effects are exacerbated at lower pressures, such as -0.9 atm, where the ideal gas law explains the bubble's growth due to reduced pressure. The presence of trapped gases in tap water contributes to these occurrences, and using a stiffer hose can mitigate the collapse of the tube during vacuum application. To optimize results, it is essential to remove trapped gases from the water prior to use.

PREREQUISITES
  • Understanding of the ideal gas law and its application in vacuum systems
  • Familiarity with the properties of elastic materials in vacuum environments
  • Knowledge of gas solubility and bubble formation in liquids
  • Experience with vacuum equipment and techniques for degassing liquids
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  • Research the ideal gas law and its implications in vacuum applications
  • Learn techniques for degassing liquids, particularly in silicone molding and epoxy applications
  • Explore materials suitable for vacuum hoses, focusing on stiffness and elasticity
  • Investigate the effects of pressure changes on gas solubility in water
USEFUL FOR

This discussion is beneficial for physicists, engineers, and anyone involved in vacuum technology, particularly those working with fluids in elastic containers and interested in optimizing vacuum processes.

JohnGe
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First of all, I want to ask for your understanding for my not well English.
I want to discuss all the effects will take place if we begin applying vacuum to the following system http://www.inkline.gr/temp/Vacuum-ElasticTube.gif .
Data:
The tube is elastic (squeezable)
The chamber is rigid
The tube contains tap water and it's closed at the right end
The final vacuum supposed to be about -0.9 atm (the water don't boil in this pressure at ambient temperature)

When I apply vacuum to the actual system happens a strange thing: the water brim over the open end. Why? After a bit an air bubble is formed inside the tube (the bubble is about 1/10 of the total tube volume). Why?
When I apply a vacuum about 0.75 atm the above effects are 10 times less.
 
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Tap water has a lot of trapped gas in it. Fill a glass with tap water and let it sit on a table over night. You should see a lot of bubbles form on the glass. Some of the bubbles are a result of exposure to the air while sitting on your table while others are causesed by gases trapped within the water escaping. That could be the cause of your gas bubble. To help eliminate this you can draw a vacuum on the water to remove all air bubbles before use. This sort of thing shows itself when working with silicone molding gels or with epoxies.

The size of the bubble is a function of the ideal gas law. Remember, an ideal gas at a volume of V at some pressure will become a volume of kV at some lesser pressure (k being some constant) and that is why the bubble grows as you reduce pressure.

V\uparrow=\frac{\overrightarrow{nRT}}{P\downarrow}

Next the brimming: You say you are using a soft hose. The brimming is probably due to a) the gas bubble formation and expansions along with b) the collapse of your hose. Get a stiffer hose and remove the trapped gases from your tap water.

Good luck.
 
Last edited:
Just one more question. To eliminate the collapse of the tube: according to my understanding, only the green part of the tube needs to be stiffer http://www.inkline.gr/temp/Vacuum-ElasticTube2.gif , am I right?
 
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Yes, you are correct.
 

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