Question

You have two identical large jugs with small holes on the side near the bottom. One jug is filled with water and the other with liquid mercury. The liquid in each jug, sitting on a table, squirts out the side hole into a container on the floor. Which container, the one catching the water or the one catching the mercury, must be closer to the table in order to catch the fluid? Or should they be placed at the same distance?

Answer 1

The container catching the mercury must be placed closer to the table in order to catch the fluid.

Step-by-step explanation:

The container catching the mercury must be placed closer to the table in order to catch the fluid.

This is because of the phenomenon of capillary action, which is the ability of a liquid to flow against gravity in a narrow space, such as a tube or in this case, a small hole. The height to which a liquid rises in a capillary tube is determined by several factors, including the relative strength of the cohesive and adhesive forces of the liquid.

Mercury has a convex meniscus, meaning that the surface of the liquid inside the tube is lower than the level of the liquid outside the tube. This results in the liquid squirting out farther from the side hole, so the container catching the mercury must be closer to the table to catch the fluid.

Answer 2

The container catching the water must be placed closer to the table in order to catch the fluid.

Step-by-step explanation:

In this case, the container catching the water must be placed closer to the table in order to catch the fluid. This is because water has a concave meniscus, meaning it is attracted to the glass surface and rises above the level of the liquid outside the tube due to adhesive forces. On the other hand, liquid mercury has a convex meniscus, meaning it is not attracted to the glass surface and stays lower than the level of the liquid outside the tube.