Manometer

(a) Freshwater and seawater flowing in parallel

horizontal pipelines are connected to each other
by a double U-tube manometer as shown in the
figure. Determine the pressure difference
between the two pipelines. Take the density of
seawater at that location to be ρsea = 1035 kg/m3.
hHg = 0.1 m, hw = 0.5 m, hsea = 0.3 m, hair = 0.7 m
• Solution :Fresh and seawater flowing in parallel horizontal pipelines
are connected to each other by a double U-tube manometer. The
pressure difference between the two pipelines is to be determined.

Assumptions 1 All the liquids are incompressible. 2 The effect of air column on pressure is negligible.
Properties The densities of seawater and mercury are given to be sea = 1035 kg/m3 and Hg =
13,600 kg/m3. We take the density of water to be w =1000 kg/m3.
Analysis Starting with the pressure in the fresh water pipe (point 1) and moving along the tube
by adding (as we go down) or subtracting (as we go up) the gh terms until we reach the sea water
pipe (point 2), and setting the result equal to P2 gives

P1 +  w ghw −  Hg ghHg −  air ghair +  sea ghsea = P2

Rearranging and neglecting the effect of air column on pressure,

P1 − P2 = −  w ghw +  Hg ghHg −  sea ghsea = g (  Hg hHg −  w hw −  sea hsea )

Substituting,

P1 − P2 = (9.81 m/s 2 )[(13,600 kg/m 3 )(0.1 m)

 1 kN 
− (1000 kg/m 3 )(0.5 m) − (1035 kg/m 3 )(0.3 m)] 
 1000 kg  m/s 2 
 
= 5.39 kN/m 2 = 5.39 kPa
 Solution The standard atmospheric pressure is expressed in terms of mercury, water, and
(a) Pressure is often given in terms of a liquid glycerin columns.

column and is expressed as ‘pressure head’. Assumptions The densities of fluids are constant.
Properties The specific gravities are given to be SG = 13.6 for mercury, SG = 1.0 for water, and SG
Express the standard atmospheric pressure = 1.26 for glycerin. The standard density of water is 1000 kg/m3, and the standard atmospheric
in terms of column for: pressure is 101,325 Pa.
Analysis The atmospheric pressure is expressed in terms of a fluid column height as
• (i) mercury (sg =13.6),
Patm
Patm = gh = SG w gh → h=
SG w g
• (ii) water (sg = 1.0), and
Substituting,
• (iii) glycerine (sg = 1.26) Patm 101,325 N/m2  1 kg  m/s2 
(a) Mercury: h= =   = 0.759 m
SGw g 13.6(1000 kg/m3 )(9.81 m/s2 )  1 N/m2 

Patm 101,325 N/m2  1 kg  m/s 2 

(b) Water: h= =   = 10.3 m
SGw g 1(1000 kg/m3 )(9.81 m/s2 )  1 N/m2 

Patm 101,325 N/m2  1 kg  m/s2 

(c) Glycerin: h= =   = 8.20 m
SGw g 1.26(1000 kg/m3 )(9.81 m/s 2 )  1 N/m2 
 Solution A tank is filled to capacity. The total hydrostatic force on the tank, and the pressures at the top and
the bottom are to be determined.
Assumptions Atmospheric pressure acts on both sides of the tank, and thus it can be ignored in calculations for
convenience.
(a) Consider a 6-m-high and 3-m-wide tank filled to capacity. Determine:
Properties We take the density of water to be 1000 kg/m3 throughout.
(i) the resultant hydrostatic force on the tank and Analysis The average pressure on a surface is the pressure at the
centroid (midpoint) of the surface, and is determined to be
(ii) the force per unit area of the tank near the top and near the bottom.
Pavg = Pc = ghc = g (h / 2)
 1N 
Pavg = (1000 kg / m 3 )(9.81m / s 2 )(6m / 2) 
2 
 1kg.m / s 
Pavg = 29430 N / m 2
Pavg = 29.43kN / m 2

Then the resultant hydrostatic force acting on the tank becomes

FR = Pavg A = (29430 N / m 2 )(6m  3m) = 529740 N = 530 kN

Resultant force per unit area is pressure, and its value at the top and the bottom of the tank becomes
Ptop = ghtop = 0 N / m 2

 1N 
Pbottom = ghbottom = (1000 kg / m 3 )(9.81m / s 2 )(6m) 2
 = 58860 N / m 2 = 58.86 kN / m 2
 1kg .m / s 