Problem 3.

5 [Difficulty: 2]

Given: Data on system

Find: Force on bottom of cube; tension in tether

Solution:
dp
Basic equation = g or, for constant p = g h where h is measured downwards
dy

The absolute pressure at the interface is pinterface = patm + SGoil g hoil

Then the pressure on the lower surface is (

pL = pinterface + g hL = patm + g SGoil hoil + hL )
4 3
For the cube V = 125 mL V = 1.25 10 m
1
3
Then the size of the cube is d = V d = 0.05 m and the depth in water to the upper surface is hU = 0.3 m

Hence hL = hU + d hL = 0.35 m where hL is the depth in water to the lower surface

2 2
The force on the lower surface is FL = pL A where A = d A = 0.0025 m

(
FL = patm + g SGoil hoil + hL A
)
3 N kg m N s
2
FL = 101 10
2
+ 1000 9.81 ( 0.8 0.5 m + 0.35 m) 0.0025 m
2 3 2 kg m
m m s

FL = 270.894 N Note: Extra decimals needed for computing T later!

For the tension in the tether, an FBD gives Fy = 0 FL FU W T = 0 or T = FL FU W

(
where FU = patm + g SGoil hoil + hU A
)
Note that we could instead compute (
F = FL FU = g SGoil hL hU A ) and T = F W

Using FU
3 N kg m N s
2
FU = 101 10
2
+ 1000 9.81 ( 0.8 0.5 m + 0.3 m) 0.0025 m
2 3 2 kg m
m m s

FU = 269.668 N Note: Extra decimals needed for computing T later!

For the oak block (Table A.1) SGoak = 0.77 so W = SGoak g V

2
kg m 4 3 N s
W = 0.77 1000 9.81 1.25 10 m W = 0.944 N
3 2 kg m
m s

T = FL FU W T = 0.282 N