Mech 342 - 002 Fluid Mechanics for Mechanical Engineers

Practice problems

1. An unknown immiscible liquid seeps into the bottom of an open oil tank. Some
measurements indicate that the depth of the unknown liquid is 1.5 m and the depth of
the oil (specific weight= 8.5 kN/m3 ) floating on top is 5.0 m. A pressure gage
connected to the bottom of the tank reads 65 kPa. What is the specific gravity of the
unknown liquid?
Solution:

2. Denver, Colorado, is called the “mile-high city” because its state capitol stands on
land 1 mi above sea level. Assuming that the Standard Atmosphere exists, what is
the pressure and temperature of the air in Denver? The temperature follows the
lapse rate (T=T0- βz ).
Solution:
3. A U-tube manometer is connected to a closed tank containing air and water as
shown in Fig. below. At the closed end of the manometer, the air pressure is 16 psia.
Determine the reading on the pressure gage for a differential reading of 4 ft on the
manometer. Express your answer in psi (gage). Assume standard atmospheric
pressure and neglect the weight of the air columns in the manometer

Solution:

4. The closed tank of Fig below is filled with water and is 5 ft long. The pressure gage
on the tank reads 7 psi. Determine: (a) the height, h, in the open water column; (b)
the gage pressure acting on the bottom tank surface AB; and (c) the absolute
pressure of the air in the top of the tank if the local atmospheric pressure is 14.7 psia.

Solution:
5. The inverted U-tube manometer of Fig. below contains oil (SG = 0.9) and water as
shown. The pressure differential between pipes A and B, pA − pB, is −5 kPa.
Determine the differential reading h.

Solution:

6. An inverted hollow cylinder is pushed into the water, as is shown in Fig. below.
Determine the distance, , that the water rises in the cylinder as a function of the
depth, d, of the lower edge of the cylinder. Plot the results for 0 ≤ d ≤ H, when H is
equal to 1 m. Assume the temperature of the air within the cylinder remains constant.
 Solution:

7. The basic elements of a hydraulic press are shown in Fig. below. The plunger has an
area of 1 in2. , and a force, F1 , can be applied to the plunger through a lever
mechanism having a mechanical advantage of 8 to 1. If the large piston has an area
of 150 in2. , what load, F2 , can be raised by a force of 30 lb applied to the lever?
Neglect the hydrostatic pressure variation.

Solution:
 A force of 30 lb applied to the lever results in a plunger force F1 , of F1= = (8)(30)
240 lb. Since F1= pA1, F1= pA2 , where p is the pressure and A1 and A2 are the
areas of the plunger and piston, respectively. Since p is constant throughout the
chamber,

8. A long, vertical wall separates seawater from fresh water. If the seawater stands at a
depth of 7 m, what depth of freshwater is required to give a zero resultant force on
the wall? When the resultant force is zero, will the moment due to the fluid forces be
zero? Explain

Solution:

9. An open tank has a vertical partition and on one side contains gasoline with a density
ρ = 700 kg/m3 at a depth of 4 m, as shown in figure below. A rectangular gate that is
4-m high and 2-m wide and hinged at one end is located in the partition. Water is
slowly added to the empty side of the tank. At what depth, h, will the gate start to
open.
 Solution:

10. Find the net horizontal force on the 4.0-m-long log shown on figure.

Solution:
11. Hoover Dam is the highest arch-gravity type of dam in the United States. A cross
section of the dam is shown in Fig. below. The walls of the canyon in which the dam
is located are sloped, and just upstream of the dam the vertical plane shown in Fig.
below approximately represents the cross section of the water acting on the dam.
Use this vertical cross section to estimate the resultant horizontal force of the water
on the dam, and show where this force acts.

Solution:
12. A closed tank is filled with water and has a 4-ft-diameter hemispherical dome as
shown in Fig. below. 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.
 Solution:

13. A 10-m-long log is stuck against a dam, as shown in Fig. below Find the magnitudes
and locations of both the horizontal force and the vertical force of the water on the log
in terms of the diameter D. The center of the log is at the same elevation as the top
of the dam.

Solution:
 14. A barge is 40-ft wide by 120-ft long. The weight of the barge and its cargo is denoted
by W. When in salt-free river water, it floats 0.25 ft deeper than when in
seawater(Specific Weight= 64 lb/ft3).Find the weight W.

Solution:

15. The homogenous gate shown in Fig. below consists of one quarter of a circular
cylinder and is used to maintain a water depth of 4 m. That is, when the water depth
exceeds 4 m, the gate opens slightly and lets the water flow under it. Determine the
weight of the gate per meter of length.

Solution:
16. Hoover Dam is the highest arch-gravity type of dam in the United States. A cross
section of the dam is shown in Fig below The walls of the canyon in which the dam is
located are sloped, and just upstream of the dam the vertical plane shown in Fig
below approximately represents the cross section of the water acting on the dam.
Use this vertical cross section to estimate the resultant horizontal force of the water
on the dam, and show where this force acts.
Solution:
 17. Figure below shows a cross section of a submerged tunnel used by automobiles to
travel under a river. Find the magnitude and location of the resultant hydrostatic force
on the circular roof of the tunnel. The tunnel is 4-mi long.

Solution:

18.

Solution:
19. The dam shown in Fig. below is 200-ft long and is made of concrete with a specific
gravity of 2.2. Find the magnitude and y-coordinate of the line of action of the net horizontal
force.
20. Figure below is a representation of the Keswick gravity dam in California. Find the
magnitudes and locations of the hydrostatic forces acting on the headwater vertical wall of
the dam and on the tailwater inclined wall of the dam. Note that the slope given is the ratio of
the run to the rise. Consider a unit length of the dam ( 1 ft).

Solution
21. While building a high, tapered concrete wall, builders used the wooden forms shown in
Fig. below If concrete has a specific gravity of about 2.5, find the total force on each of the
three side sections (A, B, and C) of the wooden forms (neglect any restraining force of the
two ends of the forms).

Solution: