Fluid Mechanics I

EMEC3300

Tutorial 2-a

Fluid Statics

1. Blood pressure is commonly measured with a cuff placed around the arm, with the cuff pressure
(which is a measure of the arterial blood pressure) indicated with a mercury manometer is usually
given as a ratio of the maximum pressure (systolic pressure) to the minimum pressure (diastolic).
These pressures are commonly measured with a mercury manometer. A typical value for this ratio
for a human would be 120⁄70, where the pressures are in 𝑚𝑚 Hg. (a) What would these pressures
be in pascals? (b) If your car tire was inflated to 120 𝑚𝑚 Hg, would it be sufficient for normal driving
knowing that typical tire pressure is 30 − 35 psi? (c) Why wouldn’t it be simpler, and cheaper, to use
water in the manometer rather than mercury? Explain and support your answer with the necessary
calculations.
[Answer: (a) 𝟏𝟔. 𝟎 𝒌𝑷𝒂 , 𝟗. 𝟑𝟏 𝒌𝑷𝒂]

2. Bathyscaphs are capable of submerging to great depths in the ocean. What is the pressure at a
depth of 5 𝑘𝑚 , assuming that the seawater has a constant specific weight of 10.1 𝑘𝑁⁄𝑚3 ? Express
your answer in pascals and psi?
[Answer: (a) 𝟓𝟎. 𝟓 𝑴𝑷𝒂 , 𝟕𝟑𝟐𝟎 psi]

3. For the great depths that may be encountered in the ocean, the compressibility of seawater may
become an important consideration. (a) Assume that the bulk modulus for seawater is constant
and derive a relationship between pressure and depth which takes into account the change in fluid
density with depth? (b) Make use of part (a) to determine the pressure at depth of 6 𝑘𝑚 assuming
seawater has a bulk modulus of 2.3 × 109 𝑃𝑎, and a density of 1030 𝑘𝑔⁄𝑚3 at the surface. (c)
Compare this result with that obtained by assuming a constant density of 1030 𝑘𝑔⁄𝑚3 .
[Answer: (b) 𝟔𝟏. 𝟒 𝑴𝑷𝒂 , (c) 𝟔𝟎. 𝟔 𝑴𝑷𝒂]

4. Develop an expression for the pressure variation in a liquid in which the specific weight increases
with depth ℎ through the relation 𝛾 = 𝐾 ℎ + 𝛾𝑜 , where 𝐾 is a constant and 𝛾𝑜 is the specific weight
at the free surface.

5. A closed cylinder tank filled with water has a hemispherical dome and is connected to an inverted
piping system as shown in the figure below. The liquid in the top part of the piping system has a
specific gravity of 0.8 , and the remaining parts of the system are filled with water. If the pressure
gage reading at A is 60 𝑘𝑃𝑎 , determine: (a) the pressure in pipe B and (b) the pressure head, in
millimeters of mercury, at the top of the dome (point C).
[Answer: (a) 𝟏𝟎𝟑 𝒌𝑷𝒂 , (b) 𝟐𝟑𝟎 𝒎𝒎 Hg]

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6. For the stationary fluid shown in the figure below, the pressure at point B is 20 𝑘𝑃𝑎 greater than at
point A. Determine the specific weight of the manometer fluid.
[Answer: 𝟕, 𝟏𝟎𝟎 𝑵⁄𝒎𝟑 ]

7. A piston having a cross-sectional area of 3 ft 2 and negligible weight is located in a cylinder

8. The mercury manometer of the figure below indicates a differential reading of 0.3 𝑚 when the
pressure in pipe A is 30 𝑚𝑚 Hg vacuum. Determine the pressure in pipe B.
[Answer: 𝟑𝟑. 𝟒 𝒌𝑷𝒂]

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9. For the inclined-tube manometer of the figure below, the pressure in pipe A is 0.6 psi. The fluid in
both pipes A and B is water, and the gage fluid in the manometer has a specific gravity of 2.6 .
What is the pressure in pipe B corresponding to the differential reading shown?
[Answer: 𝟎. 𝟐𝟐𝟒 psi]

10. A 0.02 𝑚 diameter manometer tube is connected to a 6 𝑚 diameter full tank as shown in the figure
below. Determine the density of the unknown liquid in the tank.
[Answer: 𝟏𝟗𝟑𝟎 𝒌𝒈⁄𝒎𝟑 ]

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11. The manometer fluid in the manometer of the figure below has a specific gravity of 3.46 . Pipes A
and B both contain water. If the pressure in pipe A is decreased by 1.3 psi and the pressure in pipe
B increases by 0.9 psi , determine the new differential reading of the manometer.
[Answer: 𝟒. 𝟎𝟔 ft]

12. Determine the ratio of areas 𝐴1 ⁄𝐴2 of the two manometer legs of the figure below if a change in
pressure in pipe B of 0.5 psi gives a corresponding change of 1 in in the level of the mercury in the
right leg. The pressure in pipe A does not change.
[Answer: 𝟏𝟏. 𝟕]

13. The inclined differential manometer of the figure below contains carbon tetrachloride. Initially the
pressure differential between pipes A and B, which contains a brine of 𝑆𝐺 = 1.1, is zero as illustrated
in the figure below. It is desired that the manometer gives a differential reading of 12 in (measured
along the inclined tube) for a pressure differential of 0.1 psi. Determine the required angle of
inclination 𝜃.
[Answer: 𝜽 = 𝟐𝟕. 𝟖𝒐 ]

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14. Determine the new differential reading along the inclined leg of the manometer of the figure below,
if the pressure in pipe A is decreased 10 𝑘𝑃𝑎 and the pressure in pipe B remains unchanged. The
fluid in A has a specific gravity of 0.9 and the fluid in B is water.
[Answer: 𝟎. 𝟐𝟏𝟐 𝒎]

15. Determine the change in the elevation of the mercury in the left leg of the manometer of the figure
below as a result of an increase in pressure of 5 psi in pipe A while the pressure in pipe B remains
constant.
[Answer: 𝟎. 𝟑𝟎𝟒 ft (down)]