Question

An East Coast estuary has a tidal period of 12.42hr (a semidiurnal lunar tide) and a resulting tidal current flow of 80 cm/s. If a 1/500th model is built, what tidal period and tidal current flow would be used in the model?

Answer 1

The tidal period and tidal current flow in the 1/500th model of the East Coast estuary would be approximately 1 minute and 29 seconds and 0.16 cm/s, respectively.

Step-by-step explanation:

The tidal period and tidal current flow in the 1/500th model can be determined using the principle of similarity between the model and the actual East Coast estuary.

The tidal period in the model will be 1/500th of the actual tidal period, which is 12.42 hours.

Therefore, the tidal period in the model would be 0.02484 hours or approximately 1 minute and 29 seconds.

The tidal current flow in the model will also be 1/500th of the actual tidal current flow, which is 80 cm/s.

Therefore, the tidal current flow in the model would be 0.16 cm/s.