Ball in accelerating tank with fluid

In summary, the question asks if the tension on a string holding a wooden ball in water will increase when the water is accelerated upwards. The answer is yes, as the acceleration of the system increases the tension of the string, making it greater than the weight of the ball. This is due to the buoyancy force remaining constant and the overall acceleration of the system.
  • #1
Epiclightning
26
2
T1. Homework Statement
a wooden ball of mass m is kept inside water by the help of a massless string shown in the figure. One end of the string is fixed at the bottom of the vessel. when the vessel containing the water is accelerated upwards with acceleration a , will the tension increase and why?

Homework Equations


B = Vdg,
Vdg-mg-T = ma

The Attempt at a Solution


The answer is that the tension increases, but according to the equations above, buoyancy remains constant and the new tension is T = Vdg-mg-ma, which is lesser than before(Vdg-mg).
 

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  • #2
I look at it as the acceleration of the whole tank upwards is doing nothing other than changing gravity...

The tension on the string is proportional to the total acceleration of the system... if it's accelerating upward at 9.8m/s^2 there would be double the tension.
 
  • #3
Epiclightning said:

Homework Equations


B = Vdg,
That equation is only valid if the medium is not accelerating. To make it more general, compare the forces on the wooden ball to the forces that would act on the ball of water it is displacing,
 

Related to Ball in accelerating tank with fluid

1. How does the acceleration of the tank affect the movement of the ball?

The acceleration of the tank will cause the fluid inside the tank to also accelerate, creating a force on the ball. This force will cause the ball to move in the opposite direction of the acceleration of the tank.

2. Can the ball move in a different direction than the acceleration of the tank?

Yes, depending on the force exerted by the fluid on the ball, it is possible for the ball to move in a different direction than the acceleration of the tank.

3. How does the density of the fluid affect the ball's movement in the tank?

The density of the fluid will determine the magnitude of the force exerted on the ball. A denser fluid will exert a greater force, causing the ball to move faster and in a different direction compared to a less dense fluid.

4. What happens to the ball when the tank is accelerating at a constant rate?

If the tank is accelerating at a constant rate, the ball will continue to move in the opposite direction of the acceleration at a constant velocity. The force exerted by the fluid on the ball will also remain constant.

5. How does the shape of the tank affect the ball's movement?

The shape of the tank will determine the direction and magnitude of the force exerted by the fluid on the ball. A cylindrical tank, for example, will create a force that is perpendicular to the surface of the ball, while a spherical tank will create a force that is radial towards the center of the tank.

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