FORCE - PRESSURE - HEAD

Key Concepts

• Force – The push exerted by water on any surface being used to confine it
(Usually expressed in units of pounds, tons, grams, or kilograms)

• Pressure – The force per unit area (Usually expressed in units of psi)

• Head – The vertical distance in feet from the water surface to a reference point
below the surface (Expressed in units of feet)

• 1 foot of head is equal to 0.433 psi

• 1 psi is equal to 2.31 feet of head

• 1 foot of head is equal to 62.4 lb/ft2

Example 1:
How much force would be exerted on the bottom of a 1foot cube if it was full of
water? (give answer in psi)

Example 2:
Find the upward force on the bottom of a partially underground tank that has a
bottom surface area of 400 ft2. Ground water level is 5 feet above the bottom of
the tank

Example 3:
Convert 45 feet of head to psi

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Find the upward force on the following underground tanks:
F = 62.4 x A x H

1. The bottom of the tank is 30 feet in diameter and groundwater level is 10 feet above the
bottom of the tank. How much force is being exerted on the bottom of the tank?

2. A basin is 15 feet wide by 30 feet long. The groundwater level is 7 feet above the bottom
of the basin. How much force is being exerted on the bottom of the basin?

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3. A tank is 24 feet in diameter and groundwater level is 8 feet above the bottom of the tank.
How much force is being exerted on the bottom of the tank?

4. Groundwater level is 13 feet above the bottom of a tank whose diameter is 20 feet. How
much force is being exerted on the bottom of the tank?

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5. If the bottom of a tank with a 44 foot diameter is 12 feet below ground, and the
groundwater level is 8 feet below grade, how much force is being exerted on the bottom of
the tank?

6. If the bottom of a tank with a 34 foot diameter is 15 feet below ground, and the
groundwater level is 10 feet below grade, how much force is being exerted on the bottom
of the tank?

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Find the water pressure in psi for the following water columns:
1 ft = 0.433 psi

7. 19 ft of water = _____________ psi

8. 29 ft of water = _____________ psi

9. 123 ft of water = _____________ psi

10. 75 ft of water = _____________ psi

11. 53 ft of water = _____________ psi

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12. 45 psi = ______________ ft of head

13. 55 psi = ______________ ft of head

14. 10 psi = ______________ ft of head

15. 25 psi = ______________ ft of head

16. 100 psi = ______________ ft of head

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 FORCE - PRESSURE - HEAD
1. 440,856 lb
2. 196,560 lb
3. 225,718 lb
4. 254,717 lb
5. 379,332 lb
6. 283,128 lb
7. 8 psi
8. 13 psi
9. 53 psi
10. 32 psi
11. 23 psi
12. 104 ft of head
13. 127 ft of head
14. 23 ft of head
15. 58 ft of head
16. 231 ft of head

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