Work required to pump - Very tricky

  • Thread starter Thread starter IntegrateMe
  • Start date Start date
  • Tags Tags
    Pump Work
Click For Summary

Homework Help Overview

The problem involves calculating the work required to pump seawater from a cylindrical tank with specific dimensions. The tank has a radius of 2 feet and a height of 8 feet, with the water level currently 2 feet below the top. The weight-density of seawater is provided as 64 lb/ft³.

Discussion Character

  • Exploratory, Mathematical reasoning, Problem interpretation

Approaches and Questions Raised

  • Participants discuss the volume of water in the tank and how to calculate the work needed to pump it to the top. Some suggest using the volume formula for a cylinder and integrating to find the total work done. Others raise questions about the height each piece of water must be lifted and the implications of varying heights within the tank.

Discussion Status

The discussion is ongoing, with various approaches being explored. Some participants are attempting to clarify the integration process and the relationship between volume, force, and work. There is recognition of the need to consider the height from which different segments of water must be lifted, indicating a productive direction in the reasoning process.

Contextual Notes

Participants note that the water at different heights in the tank requires different amounts of work to be lifted, which complicates the calculation. There is also mention of the average height of the water and its effect on the total work calculation.

IntegrateMe
Messages
214
Reaction score
1
A right cylindrical tank is filled with sea water. The tank has a radius of 2 feet and a height of 8 feet. If the water level is now 2 feet below the top of the tank, how much work will be required to pump the sea water to the top of the tank? (The weight-density of seawater is 64 Ib/ft3.)

The answer is 24,127 ft-Ibs, can anyone figure out why?
 
Physics news on Phys.org
How do you think you need to approach the problem?
 
deltaV = pi(r)^2(thickness) --this is of the cylindrical pieces you cut out of the whole
so r = 2

deltaV = 4pi(deltaY)

F(y) = weight = 64 Ib/ft3 (4pi(deltaY))

..and that's pretty much all i can think of?
It's very confusing, I'm sorry.
 
The water fills the tank to 6ft. You can find the volume of water using the volume of a cylinder V=\pi r^2 h. Give volume and density you can get the mass of water. You just need to get the energy needed to raise the water a height of 2 ft.
 
so using the volume equation i get V = 4pi(6) = 24pi

Then to get the force i use the work equation?

so,

W = fnint ((64 Ib/ft3)(24pi),x,0,2)

Is that it?
 
rock.freak667 said:
The water fills the tank to 6ft. You can find the volume of water using the volume of a cylinder V=\pi r^2 h. Give volume and density you can get the mass of water. You just need to get the energy needed to raise the water a height of 2 ft.
No, that's wrong. The water at the top of the tank only has to be raised 2 feet but the water at the bottom of the tank has to be raised 8 feet. That's why IntegrateMe is talking about "cylindrical pieces". Each "piece" has area [/itex]4\pi[/itex] square feet and, if we take the "thickness" of each "piece" to be dx, volume 4\pi dx cubic feet and so mass (64)(4\pi dx)= 256\pi dx pounds. If that pieces is at height "x", it has to be raised 8- x feet. The work done in raising that piece is 256\pi (8- x)dx and so the total work done is
256\pi\int_0^6 (8- x)dx[/itex] &quot;foot-pounds&quot;.<br /> <br /> Because the density is constant, you <b>could</b> look at the <b>average</b> distance the water must be lifted. The cylinder also has constant cross section so the &quot;average&quot; height of the water is 1/2 way up, at (0+ 6)/2= 3 feet. The water has to be lifted and &quot;average&quot; distance of 8- 3= 5 feet. Find the weight of the entire cylinder of water and multiply by 5 feet, not 2. That will give the same answer as the integral.
 

Similar threads

  • · Replies 2 ·
Replies
2
Views
2K
Replies
1
Views
3K
  • · Replies 10 ·
Replies
10
Views
3K
  • · Replies 4 ·
Replies
4
Views
3K
Replies
2
Views
3K
Replies
50
Views
8K
Replies
4
Views
4K
  • · Replies 5 ·
Replies
5
Views
2K
  • · Replies 2 ·
Replies
2
Views
2K
  • · Replies 5 ·
Replies
5
Views
2K