Tutorial FLUID

For STUDENT
Q1 A swimming pool is 5 meters deep and measures 12 x 20 meters. What is the pressure at the
bottom, and the total force is exerted on the pool bottom by the water?
Q2 An irregularly shaped pool has slanted walls so that the volume of water in it is difficult to
determine. Its depth is measured to be 3 meters. How could you calculate the hydrostatic
pressure at the bottom of the pool?
Q3 The systolic blood pressure is 120 mmHg. What is the pressure in pascals and lb/in2 ?
Q4 The radius of the aorta is 0.9 cm, with the average flow speed is 32.8 cm/sec. What is the
volume flow rate of blood? What is the speed of blood flow in capillaries if they have
diameter as small as 10 micrometers.
Q5 If a capillary has a radius of 2x10-4cm and the average velocity of flow through it is 0.03 cm/s.
what is the volume flow rate through the capillary? If the flow rate through the aorta is
80cm3/s, how many such capillaries would be required to carry the total blood flow?
Q6 Suppose a normal coronary artery has a volume flow rate of 100 cm 3/min. when the person’s
average blood pressure is 100 mmHg. Calculate the flow rates if the internal radius of that
artery is reduced to 80% of its normal value. If all blood vessels were similarly affected, what
blood pressure would be required to restore the normal volume flow rate of 100 cm3/min.
Q7 If dry air at pressure of 100 000 Pascal is 78.09% nitrogen, 20.95% oxygen, 0.93% argon and
0.03% carbon dioxide (by amount), what is partial pressure of each component? The sum of
partial pressure is equal to the total pressure of the mixture.
Q8 Fight regulation usually require the provision of artificial oxygen supplies for operation above
about 3000 meters. Compare the amount of oxygen available per breath at this altitude (total
pressure 70 000 Pa, temperature 279K) with that available at sea level.
Q9 The pressure in the aorta is 100 mmHg & a radius 0.9cm. What is the wall tension in the aorta?
Q10 Isolated alveoli in lungs are kept inflated to a radius of 0.15 mm by an internal pressure 4
mmHg higher than that outside the alveoli. What is the surface tension of the surfactant-
containing fluid that coats the alveoli? Assume spherical alveoli.

Q1 A swimming pool is 5 meters deep and measures 12 x 20 meters. What is the pressure
at the bottom, and the total force is exerted on the pool bottom by the water?
A1 The water pressure at the bottom is P=ρ g h=(1000 kg/m3)(9.8 m/s2)(5m)=49 000 N/m2
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The total force F = P x A = (49 000 N/m2) (12x20 m2) = 11,760,000 N

Q2 An irregularly shaped pool has slanted walls so that the volume of water in it is
difficult to determine. Its depth is measured to be 3 meters. How could you calculate
the hydrostatic pressure at the bottom of the pool?
A2 The liquid pressure at the bottom is determined solely by the depth and density. The
total volume, total weight and shape of pool are not directly relevant.
The density of water is ρ = 1 gr/cm3 = 1000 kg/m3
Therefore P = ρ g h = (1000 kg/m3)(9.8 m/s2)(3m) = 29 400 N/m2 = 29 400 pascals
Q3 The systolic blood pressure is 120 mmHg. What is the pressure in pascals and lb/in2 ?
A3 760 mmHg = 101 325 pascals
120 mmHg = 15,960 pascals = 16 KPa = 2.3 lb/in2
Remember : 1 mmHg = 133 pascals = 0.0193 lb/inc2 = 0.00132 atmosphere
Q4 The radius of the aorta is 0.9 cm, with the average flow speed is 32.8 cm/sec. What is
the volume flow rate of blood? What is the speed of blood flow in capillaries if they
have diameter as small as 10 micrometers.
A4 The volume flow rate V = A v = (π)(0.9 cm)2(32.8 cm/s) = 83.4 cm3/s = 5 liters/min
The blood flow in capillaries have speed v = V/A = (83.4 cm3/s)/{(3.14)(5x10-4cm)2}
=1.06 x 108 cm/s
Q5 If a capillary has a radius of 2x10-4cm and the average velocity of flow through it is
0.03 cm/s. what is the volume flow rate through the capillary? If the flow rate through
the aorta is 80 cm3/s, how many such capillaries would be required to carry the total
blood flow?
A5 The volume flow rate in capillary is V = A v = (3,14)(2x10-4cm)2 (0.03 cm/s) = 0.3768x
10-8 cm3/s. The number of capillaries are = 80/0.3768x10-8 = 2.12 x 1010
Q6 Suppose a normal coronary artery has a volume flow rate of 100 cm 3/min. when the
person’s average blood pressure is 100 mmHg. Calculate the flow rates if the internal
radius of that artery is reduced to 80% of its normal value. If all blood vessels were
similarly affected, what blood pressure would be required to restore the normal volume
flow rate of 100 cm3/min.
A6 The Poiseuille’s law π r 4 ( P1 − P2 )
V =
8η L

Effect on radius = (0.8r)4 = 0.41 r4.

Effect on volume flow rate : V = (0.41) (100 cm3/min.) = 41 cm3/min.
To restore a normal volume flow rate, it has to divide the pressure by the factor 0.41 to
overcome the effect of the radius reduction, so P = (100mmHg)/(0.41) = 244 mmHg.
This is a dangerously high blood pressure.
With significantly greater reduction in radius, restoration to normal volume flow rates by
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increased blood pressure is not physiologically possible.

Q7 If dry air at pressure of 100 000 Pascal is 78.09% nitrogen, 20.95% oxygen, 0.93%
argon and 0.03% carbon dioxide (by amount), what is partial pressure of each
component? The sum of partial pressure is equal to the total pressure of the mixture.
A7 Let n be the total amount of air present. Then the amount of N2 is 0.7809 n, O2 is 0.2095 n,
Ar is 0.0093 n, and CO2 is 0.0003 n.
Since the partial pressure Pi = niRT/V. The partial pressure of the various gases will be: N2 =
78 kPa, O2 = 21 kPa, Ar = 0.9 kPa CO2 = 30 Pa
These pressures add to give the total pressure 1 x 105 Pa.
Q8 Fight regulation usually require the provision of artificial oxygen supplies for operation
above about 3000 meters. Compare the amount of oxygen available per breath at this
altitude (total pressure 70 000 Pa, temperature 279K) with that available at sea level.
A8 At 3000 meters the amount of oxygen in one breath 3.1 x 10-3 mol. Hence at this
altitude we receive about 78% of the normal amount of oxygen in one breath.
Q9 The mean pressure in the aorta is 100 mmHg and a radius 0.9 cm. What is the wall
tension in the aorta?
A9 Laplace’s law : Tension for cylindrical membrane T = P r
The wall tension in the aorta is T={100 mmHg}{1333 (dynes/cm2 )/(mmHg)}{0.9 cm} =1.2 x
105 dynes/cm = 1200 N/m
Q10 Isolated alveoli in lungs are kept inflated to a radius of 0.15 mm by an internal pressure
4 mmHg higher than that outside the alveoli. What is the surface tension of the
surfactant-containing fluid that coat the alveoli? Assume spherical alveoli.
A10 Laplace’s law for spherical membrane is T = Pr/2.
For a fluid coated bubble there are liquid-air interface inside and outside the bubble, both
contributing surface tension. The membrane tension is then T = 2 ST, with ST=surface tension
of the fluid.
The surface tension required is ST = P r/4 = {(4)(1333)(0.015)}/4 = 20 dynes/cm

Density of fluid ρ = m/v Laplace’s law: T = P r for cylindrical membrane

Pressure P = F/A P = Po + ρ g h T=½Pr for spherical membrane
Flow rate or volume flux V = A v A1 v1 = A2 v2
Bernoulli’s equation: P + ½ ρ v2 + ρ g y = constant
Poiseuille’s law: π r 4 ( p1 − p2 )
V =
8η L
Dalton’s law: Total pressure = the sum of individual gas pressure
Boyle’s law for ideal gas: P V = constant PV=nRT