CE 311 – Fluid Mechanics Chapter 2 – Fluid Statics

I. A system filled with a liquid is shown below. On the left there is a piston in a tube of cross-
sectional area A1 with a force F1applied to it, and on the right, there is a piston in a tube
of cross-sectional area A2 = 2 × A1 and a force F2. The pistons are weightless. The two
liquid levels are the same.

The relation between the force 𝐹2 and 𝐹1 is:

a. 𝐹2 = 𝐹1
b. 𝐹2 = 4𝐹1
c. 𝐹2 = 2𝐹1
d. 𝐹2 = 𝐹1 /2
e. 𝐹2 = 𝐹1 /4
II. A tank is filled with liquid, and the surface is exposed to the atmosphere. Which of the
following accurately represents the absolute pressure distribution on the right-hand side of
the tank?

III. How high a column of SAE 30 oil would be required to give the same pressure as 700 𝑚𝑚𝐻𝑔?
IV. Develop an expression for the pressure variation in a liquid in which the specific weight
increases with depth, ℎ, as 𝛾 = 𝐾ℎ + 𝛾0 , where 𝐾 is a constant and 𝛾0 is the specific weight
at the free surface.
V. An absolute pressure of 7 𝑝𝑠𝑖𝑎 corresponds to what gage pressure for standard atmospheric
pressure of 14.7 𝑝𝑖𝑠𝑎?
VI. On the suction side of a pump, a Bourdon pressure gage reads 40 𝑘𝑃𝑎 vacuum. What is the
corresponding absolute pressure if the local atmospheric pressure is 100 𝑘𝑃𝑎 (abs)?
VII. A mercury manometer is connected to a large reservoir of water as shown in the next figure.
Determine the ratio, ℎ𝑤 /ℎ𝑚 , of the distances ℎ𝑤 and ℎ𝑚 indicated in the figure.

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CE 311 – Fluid Mechanics Chapter 2 – Fluid Statics

VIII. Determine the elevation difference, ∆ℎ, between the water levels in the two open tanks
shown:

IX. Water, oil, and an unknown fluid are contained in the vertical tubes shown. Determine the
density of the unknown fluid.

X. A structure is attached to the ocean floor as shown in the figure. A 2-m diameter hatch is
located in an inclined wall and hinged on one edge. Determine the minimum air pressure,
𝑝1 within the container that will open the hatch. Neglect the weight of the hatch and friction
in the hinge.

XI. A rectangular gate 6 𝑓𝑡 tall and 5 𝑓𝑡 wide in the side of an open tank is held in place by the
force 𝐹 as shown in the figure below. The weight of the gate is negligible, and the hinge at
𝑂 is frictionless.

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CE 311 – Fluid Mechanics Chapter 2 – Fluid Statics

a. Determine the water depth, h, if the resultant hydrostatic force of the water acts 2.5 𝑓𝑡
above the bottom of the gate, i.e., it is collinear with the applied force 𝐹.
b. For the depth of part (a), determine the magnitude of the resultant hydrostatic force.
c. Determine the force that the hinge puts in the gate under the above conditions.
XII. A 3m-wide, 8-m-high rectangular gate is located at the end of a rectangular passage that is
connected to a large open tank filled with water as shown in the figure. The gate is hinged
at its bottom and held closed by a horizontal force, 𝐹𝐻 , located at the center of the gate. The
maximum value for 𝐹𝐻 is 3500 𝑘𝑁.

a. Determine the maximum water depth, h, above the center of the gate that can exist
without the gate opening.
b. Is the answer the same if the gate is hinged at the top? Explain your answer.
XIII. A 4-ft-tall, 8-in.-wide concrete (150 𝑙𝑏/𝑓𝑡 3 ) retaining wall is built as shown in the figure.
During a heavy rain, water fills the space between the wall and the earth behind it to a
depth ℎ. Determine the maximum depth of water possible without the wall tipping over. The
wall simply rests on the ground without being anchored to it.

XIV. The concrete dam of the figure weighs 23.6 𝑘𝑁/𝑚3 and rests on a solid foundation. Determine
the minimum coefficient of friction between the dam and the foundation required to keep
the dam from sliding at the water depth shown. Assume no fluid uplift pressure along the
base. Base your analysis on the unit length of the dam.

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CE 311 – Fluid Mechanics Chapter 2 – Fluid Statics

XV. The 18-ft-long lightweight gate of the figure below is a quarter circle and is hinged at 𝐻.
Determine the horizontal force, 𝑃, required to hold the gate in place. Neglect friction at the
hinge and the weight of the gate.

XVI. A 4-m-long curved gate is located in the side of a reservoir containing water as shown.
Determine the magnitude of the horizontal and vertical components of the force of the water
on the gate. Will this force pass through point A?

XVII. An open tank containing water has a bulge in its vertical side that is semicircular in shape
as shown. Determine the horizontal and vertical component of the force that the water
exerts on the bulge. Base your analysis on a 1-ft-length of the bulge.

XVIII. A closed tank is filled with water and has a 4-ft-diameter hemispherical dome as shown. A
U-tube manometer is connected to the tank. Determine the vertical force of the water on
the dome if the differential manometer reading is 7 ft and the air pressure at the upper end
of the manometer is 12.6 psi.

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CE 311 – Fluid Mechanics Chapter 2 – Fluid Statics

XIX. A 3-m-diameter open cylindrical tank contains water and has a hemispherical bottom as
shown. Determine the magnitude, line of action and direction of the force of the water on
the curved bottom.

XX. An iceberg (𝑆𝐺 = 0.917) floats in the ocean (𝑆𝐺 = 1.025). What percent of the volume of the
iceberg is under water?
XXI. An open rectangular tank 1 𝑚 wide and 2 𝑚 long contains gasoline to a depth of 1 𝑚. If the
height of the tank sides is 1.5 𝑚, what is the maximum horizontal acceleration (along the
long axis of the tank) that can develop before the gasoline begins to spill?
XXII. A closed cylindrical tank that is 8 𝑓𝑡 in diameter and 24-ft-long is completely filled with
gasoline. The tank, with its long axis horizontal, is pulled by a truck along a horizontal
surface. Determine the pressure difference between the ends (along the long axis of the
tank) when the truck undergoes an acceleration of 5 𝑓𝑡/𝑠 2 .
XXIII. The open U-tube shown below is partially filled with liquid. When this device is accelerated
with a horizontal acceleration 𝑎, a differential reading ℎ, develops between the manometer
legs which are spaced a distance 𝑙 apart. Determine the relationship between 𝑎, 𝑙 , ℎ.

XXIV. The U-tube of the figure is partially filled with water and rotates around the axis 𝑎 − 𝑎.
Determine the angular velocity that will cause the water to start to vaporize at the bottom
of the tube (point 𝐴).

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CE 311 – Fluid Mechanics Chapter 2 – Fluid Statics

XXV. An open 1-m-diameter tank contains water at a depth of 0.7 m when at rest. As the tank is
rotated about its vertical axis the center of the fluid surface is depressed. At what angular
velocity will the bottom of the tank first be exposed? No water is spilled from the tank.
XXVI. An open 2-ft-diameter tank contains water to a depth of 3ft when at rest. If the tank is
rotated about its vertical axis with an angular velocity of 180rev/min, what is the minimum
height of the tank walls to prevent water from spilling over the sides?

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