Linda Fahlberg-Stojanovska 1

Hydrostatic Equilibrium in a Centrifugal Field – Height of Liquid

A uniform liquid is spun in a cylindrical centrifuge at a constant angular speed of . Constant angular
speed means this picture is STATIC. The height zs at the surface of the liquid increases as we move out
from the center. We want a formula for this height as a function of distance r from center.

Solution: At the center r=0, the height is zs=z0. The surface pressure here (and everywhere) is p=p0.
As we move out from the center, the radius r increases. The height zs is a function of r.
We want this function.

However we only know about p with respect to a point (r, z) where z is any height in the liquid.
We know the 2 partial differential equations for change in pressure:
p
The first is with respect to z: g (1)
z
p 2
The second is with respect to r: r (2)
r
and we know the total differential of a function of 2 variables is:
p p
p p( r , z ) dp dr dz (3)
r z
Substitute (1) and (2) into (3) and integrate:
2 1 2 2
dp r dr g dz So: p 2
r gz c

1 2 2
We find c by substituting r=0, z=z0 and p=p0: p0 2
0 g z0 c
1 2 2
p p0 2
r g z0 z This equation is for any z.
For z=zs at the surface, the pressure is always p=p0 .

We substitute to get the function we want:

2 2
1 2 2 1 r
p0 p0 2
r g z0 zs So: z s z0
2 g