Math Problem Statement
A vertical dam has the form of an isosceles trapezoid with horizontal sides parallel. The dam is 20 m high, 20 m in its lower part and 40 m in its upper part. Finally, the dam retains 10 m of water, as indicated in the figure below. Maple plot a) Let y denote the height in meters measured from the base of the dam. The hydrostatic force exerted by the water on the portion of the dam comprised between y m and y+Δy m is approximately p(y)Δy N . What is p(y) ? Note that the density of water is ρ=1000 Kg/m3 and the acceleration due to gravity on the earth’s surface is g=9.8 m/s2 . Express your answer as a formula. Answer: Preview Change entry mode b) In Newtons, what is the total hydrostatic force exerted on the dam? FORMATTING: If you round your answer, ensure that the round-off error is less than 1% of the value. Answer:
Solution
Part (a): Expression for Hydrostatic Pressure
The hydrostatic pressure at a height from the base of the dam is given by the formula:
Where:
- is the density of water (),
- is the acceleration due to gravity (),
- is the depth of the water at height from the base.
The height of the water level is 10 m, so the depth of the water is for .
Thus, the formula for the hydrostatic pressure becomes:
This is the hydrostatic pressure at a given height in the water, where is measured from the base of the dam. The pressure decreases linearly as we move upward from the bottom.
Part (b): Total Hydrostatic Force on the Dam
To calculate the total hydrostatic force exerted on the dam, we integrate the pressure along the height of the water. The force exerted by the water on a thin strip of the dam at a height is given by:
Where:
- is the hydrostatic pressure at height ,
- is the area of the strip of the dam at height ,
- is the small vertical height increment.
To compute the area , we note that the dam has the shape of an isosceles trapezoid, and the width of the water at height varies linearly as we go up. The width at height is:
So, the area of the strip at height is:
Now, we can express the total force by integrating over the height of the water (from to ):
Substituting the expressions for and :
Let's expand the integrand:
Now, we integrate term by term:
Thus, the total hydrostatic force exerted on the dam is approximately 13,066,667 N.
Would you like further details or clarifications on any part? Here are some related questions to explore:
- How does the shape of the dam affect the hydrostatic force?
- What other factors could influence the hydrostatic pressure on a dam besides water depth?
- How can the formula for the total force be adapted if the dam's shape changes?
- Why is the pressure at a given height dependent on the depth of the water, not just the height of the dam?
- How would the total hydrostatic force change if the water height was increased to 12 m?
Tip: When solving integrals of physical quantities, always ensure that your limits correspond to the actual physical domain (e.g., from 0 to the water height) and verify the units for consistency throughout.
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Math Problem Analysis
Mathematical Concepts
Hydrostatic Pressure
Integration
Physics of Fluids
Trapezoidal Geometry
Formulas
p(y) = ρgh(y)
h(y) = 10 - y
w(y) = 20 + 2y
F = ∫ p(y) * w(y) dy
Theorems
Hydrostatic Pressure Principle
Definite Integration
Suitable Grade Level
Undergraduate Engineering / Physics
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