Problem 3.

12 [Difficulty: 4]

Given: Model behavior of seawater by assuming constant bulk modulus

Find: (a) Expression for density as a function of depth h.

(b) Show that result may be written as
ρ = ρo + bh
(c) Evaluate the constant b
(d) Use results of (b) to obtain equation for p(h)
(e) Determine depth at which error in predicted pressure is 0.01%

5
Solution: From Table A.2, App. A: SGo = 1.025 Ev = 2.42⋅ GPa = 3.51 × 10 ⋅ psi

dp
Governing Equations: = ρ⋅ g (Hydrostatic Pressure - h is positive downwards)
dh

dp (Definition of Bulk Modulus)

Ev =
dρ
ρ

ρ h
dρ dρ g ⌠
⎮ 1 ⌠ g
Then dp = ρ⋅ g⋅ dh = Ev⋅ or = dh Now if we integrate: d ρ = ⎮ dh
ρ 2 Ev ⎮ 2 ⎮ Ev
ρ ⎮ ρ ⌡0
⌡ρ
o

ρ − ρo g⋅ h Ev⋅ ρo ρ 1
After integrating: = Therefore: ρ = and =
ρ⋅ ρo Ev Ev − g⋅ h⋅ ρo ρo ρo⋅ g⋅ h
1−
Ev

ρo⋅ g⋅ h ρo⋅ g⋅ h (Binomial expansion may

ρ
Now for <<1, the binomial expansion may be used to approximate the density: = 1+ be found in a host of
Ev ρo Ev sources, e.g. CRC
2 Handbook of
ρo ⋅ g Mathematics)
In other words, ρ = ρo + b⋅ h where b =
Ev

Since dp = ρ⋅ g⋅ dh then an approximate expression for the pressure as a function of depth is:

⌠
h
(
g⋅ h ⋅ 2⋅ ρo + b ⋅ h )
papprox − patm = ⎮
⌡0
( ρo + b ⋅ h )⋅ g dh → papprox − patm = 2
Solving for papprox we get:
papprox = patm +
( )
g⋅ h⋅ 2⋅ ρo + b⋅ h
= patm + ρo⋅ g⋅ h +
b⋅ g⋅ h
2 ⎛
= patm + ⎜ ρo⋅ h +
b⋅ h ⎞
2
⎟⋅g
2 2 ⎝ 2 ⎠

Now if we subsitiute in the expression for b and simplify, we get:

⎛ ρo ⋅ g h2 ⎞⎟
2
⎛ ρo⋅ g⋅ h ⎞ ⎛ ρo⋅ g⋅ h ⎞
⎜
papprox = patm + ρo⋅ h + ⋅ ⋅ g = patm + ρo⋅ g⋅ h⋅ ⎜ 1 + ⎟ papprox = patm + ρo⋅ g⋅ h⋅ ⎜ 1 + ⎟
⎜ Ev 2 ⎟ 2⋅ Ev 2Ev
⎝ ⎠ ⎝ ⎠ ⎝ ⎠

The exact soution for p(h) is obtained by utilizing the exact solution for ρ(h). Thus:

ρ −1
⌠ E
⎛ ρo⋅ g⋅ h ⎞
dρ = Ev⋅ ln ⎜ ⎞⎟
pexact − patm = ⎮
v ⎛ρ ρ
pexact = patm + Ev⋅ ln ⎜ 1 −
⎮
Subsitiuting for we get: ⎟
ρ Ev
⌡ρ ⎝ ρo ⎠ ρo
⎝ ⎠
o

⎛ x⎞
ρo⋅ g⋅ h⋅ ⎜ 1 + ⎟
⎛ x⎞
x⋅ ⎜ 1 + ⎟
ρo⋅ g⋅ h Δpexact − Δpapprox
If we let x = For the error to be 0.01%: = 1−
⎝ 2⎠ = 1−
⎝ 2⎠ = 0.0001
− 1⎤ − 1⎤
Ev Ev⋅ ln ⎡⎣( 1 − x) ln ⎡⎣( 1 − x)
Δpexact
⎦ ⎦

This equation requires an iterative solution, e.g. Excel's Goal Seek. The result is: x = 0.01728 Solving x for h:

x⋅ Ev 3 2 2
× ⎛⎜
5 lbf ft s 12⋅ in ⎞ slug⋅ ft 4
h= h = 0.01728 × 3.51 × 10 ⋅ × × ⎟ × h = 1.364 × 10 ⋅ ft
ρo⋅ g 2 1.025 × 1.94⋅ slug 32.2⋅ ft ⎝ ft ⎠ 2
in lbf ⋅ s

This depth is over 2.5 miles, so the

incompressible fluid approximation is a
reasonable one at all but the lowest depths
of the ocean.