Elizabeth's question at Yahoo Answers regarding the computation of work

In summary: So, we have found that as a function of the constant k, the work done when pumping out the upper half is half the work done pumping out the lower half.
  • #1
MarkFL
Gold Member
MHB
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Here is the question:

Calculus help upper and lower half?

A cylinder with height 8 m and radius 3 m is filled with water and must be emptied through an outlet pipe 2 m above the top of the cylinder.

(A) compute the work required to empty the water in the top half of the tank
(B) compute the work required to empty the equal amount of water in the lower half of the tank
(C) interpret

Please show any steps you used. Thanks!

Here is a link to the question:

Calculus help upper and lower half? - Yahoo! Answers

I have posted a link there to this topic so the OP can find my response.
 
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  • #2
Hello Elizabeth,

I prefer to work problems in general terms, and derive a formula we may then plug our data into. Let's let the radius of the cylindrical tank be $r$, the height of the tank be $h$ and the additional distance above the tank the fluid must be pumped be $q$. All measures are in meters.

Let's then imagine the surface of the fluid is initially a distance $h_1$ from the top of the tank, and we wish to pump out fluid until the surface is a distance $h_2$ from the top of the tank. We will let $W$ be the amount of work required to accomplish this task.

We will use a vertical $y$-axis along which to integrate. Now, if we imagine slicing the cylinder of water we wish to remove into disks, we may state, using work is force times distance for a constant force:

\(\displaystyle dW=Fd=mgd\)

The force exerted is equal to the weight of the slice, which is the product of the mass and the acceleration due to gravity.

The mass $m$ of the slice is the product of the mass density $\rho$ (in \(\displaystyle \frac{\text{kg}}{\text{m}^3}\)) and the volume \(\displaystyle V=\pi r^2\,dy\) of the slice, i.e.:

$m=\rho\pi r^2\,dy$

The distance the slice must be vertically moved against gravity is:

$d=q+y$

Putting it all together, we have:

\(\displaystyle dW=\rho\pi g r^2(q+y)\,dy\)

Now, to find the total work done, we may sum the work differentials through integration:

\(\displaystyle W=\rho\pi g r^2\int_{h_1}^{h_2}(q+y)\,dy\)

Applying the anti-derivative form of the FTOC, we find:

\(\displaystyle W=\rho\pi g r^2\left[qy+\frac{1}{2}y^2 \right]_{h_1}^{h_2}\)

\(\displaystyle W=\rho\pi g r^2\left(\left(qh_2+\frac{1}{2}h_2^2 \right)-\left(qh_1+\frac{1}{2}h_1^2 \right) \right)\)

\(\displaystyle W=\rho\pi g r^2\left(q(h_2-h_1)+\frac{1}{2}(h_2^2-h_1^2) \right)\)

\(\displaystyle W=\rho\pi g r^2(h_2-h_1)\left(q+\frac{1}{2}(h_2+h_1) \right)\)

\(\displaystyle W=\frac{1}{2}\rho\pi g r^2(h_2-h_1)\left(h_1+h_2+2q \right)\)

Now we may plug in the given/known data

Water is generally taken to have a mass density of:

\(\displaystyle \rho=1000\,\frac{\text{kg}}{\text{m}^3}\)

I will assume we are to use:

\(\displaystyle g=9.8\,\frac{\text{m}}{\text{s^2}}\)

We are given:

$r=3\text{ m},\,q=2\text{ m},\,h=8\text{ m}$

For part (A), we have:

\(\displaystyle h_1=0\text{ m},\,h_2=\frac{h}{2}=4\text{ m}\)

Hence:

\(\displaystyle W_A=1411200\pi\text{ J}\)

For part (B), we have:

\(\displaystyle h_1=\frac{h}{2}\,\text{m}=4\text{ m},\,h_2=h=8\text{ m}\)

Hence:

\(\displaystyle W_B=2822400\pi\text{ J}=2W_A\)

(C) If we interpret the amount of work done as the area of a trapezoid, since the integrand is a linear function, we find that:

\(\displaystyle W_A=k\cdot\frac{1}{2}(6+2)4=16k\)

\(\displaystyle W_B=k\cdot\frac{1}{2}(10+6)4=32k=2W_A\)
 
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FAQ: Elizabeth's question at Yahoo Answers regarding the computation of work

1. How is work defined in physics?

Work is defined as the product of a force applied to an object and the distance the object moves in the direction of the force. This can be represented by the equation W = F * d, where W is work, F is force, and d is distance.

2. How do you calculate work when the force is not constant?

When the force is not constant, work can be calculated by dividing the distance into small intervals and multiplying the average force for each interval by the corresponding distance. Then, the work for each interval can be added together to find the total work.

3. What is the unit of measurement for work?

The standard unit of measurement for work is the joule (J). One joule is equal to one newton-meter (N*m).

4. Can work be negative?

Yes, work can be negative if the force and the displacement are in opposite directions. This means that the force is doing work against the direction of motion, and the work is considered to be negative.

5. How is work related to energy?

Work and energy are closely related, as work is a transfer of energy. The amount of work done on an object is equal to the change in energy of the object. This can be seen in the work-energy theorem: W = ΔKE, where W is work, ΔK is the change in kinetic energy, and E is energy.

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