Problem 3.

14 [Difficulty: 3]

Given: Cylindrical cup lowered slowly beneath pool surface

Air H
Find: Expression for y in terms of h and H.
Plot y/H vs. h/H.
D y Air H–y
Solution: y

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

p⋅ V = M⋅ R⋅ T (Ideal Gas Equation)

Assumptions: (1) Constant temperature compression of air inside cup

(2) Static liquid
(3) Incompressible liquid

First we apply the ideal gas equation (at constant temperature) for the pressure of the air in the cup: p⋅ V = constant

π 2 π 2
Therefore: p⋅ V = pa⋅ ⋅ D ⋅ H = p⋅ ⋅ D ⋅ ( H − y) and upon simplification: pa⋅ H = p⋅ ( H − y)
4 4

Now we look at the hydrostatic pressure equation for the pressure exerted by the water. Since ρ is constant, we integrate:

p − pa = ρ⋅ g⋅ ( h − y) at the water-air interface in the cup.

Since the cup is submerged to a depth of h, these pressures must be equal:

pa⋅ H = ⎡pa + ρ⋅ g⋅ ( h − y)⎤ ⋅ ( H − y) = pa⋅ H − pa⋅ y + ρ⋅ g⋅ ( h − y) ⋅ ( H − y)

⎣ ⎦

Explanding out the right hand side of this expression:

2
0 = −pa⋅ y + ρ⋅ g⋅ ( h − y) ⋅ ( H − y) = ρ⋅ g⋅ h⋅ H − ρ⋅ g⋅ h⋅ y − ρ⋅ g⋅ H⋅ y + ρ⋅ g⋅ y − pa⋅ y

2 2 ⎡ pa ⎤
ρ⋅ g⋅ y − ⎡pa + ρ⋅ g⋅ ( h + H)⎤ ⋅ y + ρ⋅ g⋅ h⋅ H = 0 y −⎢ + ( h + H)⎥ ⋅ y + h⋅ H = 0
⎣ ⎦ ⎣ ρ⋅ g ⎦

2
⎡ pa ⎤ ⎡ pa ⎤
⎢ + ( h + H)⎥ − ⎢ + ( h + H)⎥ − 4⋅ h⋅ H
y= ⎣
ρ⋅ g ⎦ ⎣ ρ⋅ g ⎦
We now use the quadratic equation: we only use the minus sign because y
2 can never be larger than H.
Now if we divide both sides by H, we get an expression for y/H:

2
⎛ pa h ⎞ ⎛ pa h ⎞ h
⎜ + + 1⎟ − ⎜ + + 1⎟ − 4⋅
y
=
⎝ ρ⋅ g⋅ H H ⎠ ⎝ ρ⋅ g⋅ H H ⎠ H
H 2

The exact shape of this curve will depend upon the height of the cup. The plot below was generated assuming:

pa = 101.3⋅ kPa
H = 1⋅ m

0.8
Height Ratio, y/H

0.6

0.4

0.2

0 20 40 60 80 100

Depth Ratio, h/H