A length of flexible tubing is used to start a siphon that transfers water from an…
PHYSICS · Multi-part · CBSE · Physics · Mechanical Properties of Fluids · Mechanical Properties of Fluids
Problem
A length of flexible tubing is used to start a siphon that transfers water from an upper bucket to a lower bucket. The water surface in the upper bucket is 0.40 m above the water surface in the lower bucket. When the siphon is operating, the highest point of the tubing is 0.12 m above the water surface in the upper bucket.
Assume the water is incompressible and the flow is steady after the siphon has been primed.
(a) Describe, in words, the pressure distribution along the interior of the tube that allows the water to rise to a point higher than the surface in the upper bucket.
(b) Explain why lifting the highest point of the tube much farther above the upper water surface would eventually cause the siphon to stop flowing, even if the ends of the tube remain submerged.