Question

Two identical sealed containers (1 and 2) are connected to one another by a narrow tube with a valve. Initially, the valve is closed, container 1 is filled with a fluid, and container 2 is empty. Both containers have a ruler taped to their sides in order to measure the height of any fluid they contain.

A) . When the valve is opened for a time interval Δt, the level of the fluid in container 1 drops by 3 cm. Describe qualitatively how you would use this information to determine the volume flow rate through the tube. Assume that the bases of the containers each have an area A.

B) Say you were performing the experiment with the tube diameter of 2.0 mm. What would be the new volume flow rate if the diameter was changed to 2.4 mm (all other variables remaining the same)?

C) Say you were performing the experiment with the red fluid (viscosity of 624 mPa-s). What would be the new volume flow rate if you changed to the blue fluid (viscosity of 310 mPa-s, all other variables remaining the same)? You may either show your work in the provided box or upload a copy of your solutions.

D) Say you were performing the experiment with a tube of length 6 cm. You change the tube out for a new one that has a 10 cm length but were not careful about keeping the pressure the same and during the new experiment, the pressure dropped to a constant 40 kPa (instead of the original 60 kPa). What would be the new volume flow rate if the length and pressure changed, but the diameter and viscosity remained the same?

Answer 1