Question

In a certain chemical plant, a closed tank contains ethyl alcohol to a depth of 71 ft. Air at a pressure of 17 psi fills the gap at the top of the tank. Determine the pressure at a closed valve attached to the tank 10 ft above its bottom.

Answer 1

the pressure at a closed valve attached to the tank 10 ft above its bottom is 37.88 psi

Step-by-step explanation:

Given that;

depth 1 = 71 ft

depth 2 = 10 ft

pressure p = 17 psi = 2448 lb/ft²

depth h = 71 ft - 10 ft = 61 ft

we know that;

p = P_air + yh

where y is the specific weight of ethyl alcohol ( 49.3 lb/ft³ )

so we substitute;

p = 2448 + ( 49.3 × 61 )

= 2448 + 3007.3

= 5455.3 lb/ft³

= 37.88 psi

Therefore, the pressure at a closed valve attached to the tank 10 ft above its bottom is 37.88 psi