1.

If the pressure in a tank is 50 psi, find the equivalent pressure head of a) water b) mercury and
c) heavy fuel oil with specific gravity of 0.92.

- Solution:
𝑝
ℎ=
𝛾
a) Pressure head of water
144 𝑖𝑛
50 𝑝𝑠𝑖 ×
1 𝑓𝑡
ℎ= = 115.38 𝑓𝑡
𝑙𝑏
62.4
𝑓𝑡
b) Pressure head of mercury
144 𝑖𝑛
50 𝑝𝑠𝑖 ×
1 𝑓𝑡
ℎ= = 8.50 𝑓𝑡
𝑙𝑏
(13.6)(62.4 )
𝑓𝑡
c) Pressure head of heavy fuel oil with specific gravity of 0.92.
144 𝑖𝑛
50 𝑝𝑠𝑖 ×
1 𝑓𝑡
ℎ= = 125.42 𝑓𝑡
𝑙𝑏
(0.92)(62.4 )
𝑓𝑡

2. A pressure gage 19.0 ft above the bottom of a tank containing a liquid reads 13.19 psi;
another gage at height 14.0 ft reads 15.12 psi. Compute the specific weight, mass density,
and specific gravity of the liquid.

- Solution:
a) Solving for the specific weight of the liquid
Δ𝑝 = 𝛾(Δℎ)
144 𝑖𝑛
(15.12𝑝𝑠𝑖 − 13.19𝑝𝑠𝑖)
1 𝑓𝑡 𝑙𝑏
𝛾= = 55.6
19 𝑓𝑡 − 14 𝑓𝑡 𝑓𝑡
b) Solving for the density of the liquid
𝑙𝑏
𝛾 55.6 𝑓𝑡 𝑠𝑙𝑢𝑔
𝜌= = = 1.73
𝑔 𝑓𝑡 𝑓𝑡
32.2
𝑠
c) Solving for the specific gravity of the liquid
𝑙𝑏
55.6
𝑓𝑡
𝑠. 𝑔. = = 0.891
𝑙𝑏
62.4
𝑓𝑡

3. If the atmospheric pressure is 0.9 bar abs and a gage attached to a tank reads 390 mmHg
vacuum, what is the absolute pressure within the tank?

-Solution:
𝑝 =𝑝 − 𝑝
100 𝑘𝑃𝑎 101.325 𝑘𝑃𝑎
𝑝 = 0 .9 𝑏𝑎𝑟 × − (390 𝑚𝑚𝐻𝑔)( )
1 𝑏𝑎𝑟 760 𝑚𝑚𝐻𝑔
𝑝 = 38 𝑘𝑃𝑎
4. The closed tank in figure PS 1 is at 20oC. If the pressure at point A is 98 kPa abs, what is the
absolute pressure at point B? What percent error results from neglecting the specific weight
of the air?

- Solution:
𝑝 =𝑝 + γ h − γ h

a) For the absolute pressure at point B

𝑝 +𝛾 ℎ − 𝛾 ℎ − 𝛾 ℎ =𝑝

𝑁
𝑘𝑔 9.80665 𝑘𝑔 𝑘𝑁
𝑝 = 98 𝑘𝑃𝑎 + 1.2 (5 𝑚) − 9.79 (5𝑚 − 3𝑚)
𝑚 𝑁 𝑚
1000
𝑘𝑁
𝑁
𝑘𝑔 9.80665 𝑘𝑔
− 1.2 (3 𝑚)
𝑚 𝑁
1000
𝑘𝑁

𝑝 = 78.444 𝑘𝑃𝑎𝑎

b) Percent error if air is neglected

For PB if air is neglected

𝑘𝑁
𝑝 = 98 𝑘𝑃𝑎 − 9.79 (5𝑚 − 3𝑚)
𝑚
𝑝 = 78.42 𝑘𝑃𝑎
Then,
78.444 𝑘𝑃𝑎 − 78.42 𝑘𝑃𝑎
% 𝑒𝑟𝑟𝑜𝑟 = × 100%
78.444 𝑘𝑃𝑎
% 𝑒𝑟𝑟𝑜𝑟 = 0.031%

5. The system in figure below is at 20oC. If atmospheric pressure is 101.03 kPa and the
absolute pressure at the bottom of the tank is 231.3 kPa, what is the specific gravity of olive
oil?
 - Solution:

Solving for the specific gravity of the olive oil

𝑝 + 𝑠. 𝑔 𝛾 @ °
ℎ + 𝛾 @ °
ℎ + 𝑠. 𝑔 𝛾 @ °
ℎ + 𝑠. 𝑔 𝛾 @ °
ℎ = 231.3 𝑘𝑃𝑎

𝑘𝑁 𝑘𝑁 𝑘𝑁 𝑘𝑁
101.03 𝑘𝑃𝑎 + (0.89) 9.79 (1.5𝑚) + 9.79 (2.5𝑚) + ( 𝑠. 𝑔 ) 9.79 (2.9𝑚) + (13.6) 9.79 (0.4𝑚) = 231.3 𝑘𝑃𝑎
𝑚 𝑚 𝑚 𝑚
𝑠. 𝑔. = 1.39

6. The hydraulic jack shown in figure PS 3 is filled with oil at 55 lb/ft 3. Neglecting the weight of
the two pistons, what force F on the handle is required to support the 2200-lb weight?

- Solution:

Pascal’s Principle: the pressure exerted at one surface of an incompressible fluid is equal to
the pressure exerted on any other surface.

For the pressure in the oil from the weight on the large piston:

𝑊 2200 𝑙𝑏 𝑙𝑏
𝑃 =
=𝜋 = 311.236
𝐴 (3 𝑖𝑛) 𝑖𝑛
4
For the force exerted on the small piston

𝑙𝑏 𝜋
𝐹 = 𝑃 (𝐴 ) = 311.236 (1 𝑖𝑛) = 244.514 𝑙𝑏
𝑖𝑛 4

For the summation of moments about the hinge A of the handle:

𝛴𝑀 = 𝐹(16 + 1)– (244.514 𝑙𝑏)(1) = 0,
There fore
𝐹 = 14.38 𝑙𝑏
7. A manometer is attached to a tank containing three different fluids, as shown in figure PS4.
What will be the difference in elevation of mercury column in the manometer?
 Considering only the gage pressure

𝑝 + γ h − γ h =0

𝑘𝑁 𝑘𝑁 𝑘𝑁 𝑘𝑁
30 𝑘𝑃𝑎 + (0.82) 9.79 (5 − 2)𝑚 + 9.79 (2 − 0)𝑚 + 9.79 (1)𝑚 − (13.6) 9.79 (𝑦)𝑚 = 0
𝑚 𝑚 𝑚 𝑚
𝑦 = 0.627 𝑚

For SP 5. Solving for pressure difference

𝑙𝑏 66.6 𝑙𝑏 40.3 𝑙𝑏 22.2

𝑃 + 62.4 𝑓𝑡 − (13.6) 62.4 𝑓𝑡 + 62.4 𝑓𝑡
𝑓𝑡 12 𝑓𝑡 12 𝑓𝑡 12
𝑙𝑏 30 𝑙𝑏 10
− (13.6) 62.4 𝑓𝑡 − 62.4 𝑓𝑡 = 𝑃
𝑓𝑡 12 𝑓𝑡 12

𝑙𝑏
𝑃 − 𝑃 = 3562 = 31.7 𝑝𝑠𝑖
𝑓𝑡
 For SP 6. Solving for
pressure difference

𝑘𝑁 𝑘𝑁 𝑘𝑁
𝑃 − 9.79 (𝑥) − (0.8) 9.79 (0.7 m) + 9.79 (x − 0.8) = P
𝑚 𝑚 𝑚

𝑃 − 𝑃 = 13.3 14 𝑘𝑃𝑎

For SP 7. Solving for pressure difference

𝑘𝑁 𝑘𝑁 𝑘𝑁
𝑃 + (0.88) 9.79 (0.21𝑚) − (13.6) 9.79 (0.09𝑚) − (0.82) 9.79 (0.41 − 0.09)𝑚
𝑚 𝑚 𝑚
𝑁
𝑘𝑁 𝑘𝑔 9.80665 𝑘𝑔
+ 9.79 (0.41 − 0.15)𝑚 − 1.2 (0.1) = 𝑃
𝑚 𝑚 𝑁
1000
𝑘𝑁

𝑃 − 𝑃 = 10.2 𝑘𝑃𝑎