Question

A gauge is reading the pressure at the bottom of a river, at a depth of 6 m. Would the reading be greater or smaller than the reading at the bottom of a lake at the same depth? You must provide a clear explanation for full credit.

Answer 1

The pressure at the bottom of the river is less than that at the bottom of the lake.

Step-by-step explanation:

From Bernoulli's equation, the pressure difference is given by

ΔP = ρgΔh + ρ(v₂² - v₁²)/2 where ρ = density of water, g = acceleration due to gravity, Δh = depth, v₁ = velocity at top, v₂ = velocity at bottom

For the lake, v₁ = v₂, since the velocity at the top and bottom are the same. So,

ΔP₁ = ρgΔh + ρ(v₁² - v₁²)/2 = ρgΔh + 0 = ρgΔh

P₂ - P₁ = ρgΔh

P₂ = P₁ + ρgΔh

For the river, v₁ < v₂, since the velocity at the top of the river is greater than at the bottom.

So,

ΔP₂ = ρgΔh + ρ(v₂² - v₁²)/2.

Since v₁ < v₂, ρ(v₂² - v₁²)/2 will be negative,

So,

ΔP₂ = ρgΔh - ρ(v₂² - v₁²)/2.

Since ρ(v₂² - v₁²)/2 is negative, making ΔP less than that in the lake.

So, ΔP₂ = ΔP₁ - ρ(v₂² - v₁²)/2.

ΔP₂ = P₃ - P₁

P₃ - P₁ = P₂ - P₁ - ρ(v₂² - v₁²)/2.

P₃ = P₂ - ρ(v₂² - v₁²)/2.

where P₃ = pressure at bottom of the river and P₂ = pressure at bottom of the lake and P₁ = atmospheric pressure at top of river and lake respectively.

Since the factor ρ(v₂² - v₁²)/2 is removed from the pressure at the bottom of the lake, the pressure at the bottom of the river is therefore less than that at the bottom of the lake.