What Is the Pressure Inside a Water Cannon Shooting at 25m/s?

  • Thread starter Thread starter ChickysPusss
  • Start date Start date
AI Thread Summary
The discussion centers on calculating the pressure inside a water cannon that shoots water at 25 m/s. Using Bernoulli's principle, the user calculated the height required for this velocity to be approximately 31 meters, leading to a pressure of 303,800 Pa. However, the textbook answer is 4.125 x 10^5 Pa absolute, prompting questions about the inclusion of atmospheric pressure in the calculations. It was clarified that the discrepancy arises from not accounting for atmospheric pressure, which adds approximately 100,000 Pa to the calculated gauge pressure. The conversation emphasizes the importance of considering absolute pressure in fluid dynamics problems.
ChickysPusss
Messages
13
Reaction score
1

Homework Statement



Water is coming out of a water cannon at 25m/s, what is the pressure inside the cannon?


Homework Equations


Bernoulli's (modifiedd): v = √(2gh) -> h = v^2/2g
Prssure(liquid) : P = ρgh


The Attempt at a Solution



Well, I wasn't too sure how a water cannon works, so I "made one" that is just a giant vat with a lot of water, and a hole at the bottom.

I figured that for the water to come out at 25m/s, the height would have to be ~31m.
h = (25^2)/2g

So then I said, Pressure must be equal to ρgh, which is 1000 * 9.8 * 31m = 303,800Pa

But the answer the book gives says its "4.125 x 10^5 Pa absolute."

Any idea why my solution is incorrect?
 
Physics news on Phys.org
Absolute pressure? Did You take into consideration atmospheric pressure?
 
Oh jeeze, I guess that would give me the ~100000 Pascals I need for the answer, thanks!
 
Thread 'Voltmeter readings for this circuit with switches'
TL;DR Summary: I would like to know the voltmeter readings on the two resistors separately in the picture in the following cases , When one of the keys is closed When both of them are opened (Knowing that the battery has negligible internal resistance) My thoughts for the first case , one of them must be 12 volt while the other is 0 The second case we'll I think both voltmeter readings should be 12 volt since they are both parallel to the battery and they involve the key within what the...
Thread 'Correct statement about a reservoir with an outlet pipe'
The answer to this question is statements (ii) and (iv) are correct. (i) This is FALSE because the speed of water in the tap is greater than speed at the water surface (ii) I don't even understand this statement. What does the "seal" part have to do with water flowing out? Won't the water still flow out through the tap until the tank is empty whether the reservoir is sealed or not? (iii) In my opinion, this statement would be correct. Increasing the gravitational potential energy of the...
Back
Top