The water behind Grand Coulee Dam is 1 200 m wide and 150 m deep.Find the hydrostatic force on the back of the dam.(Hint: the total force = average pressure ´ area)

Question

Quizplus · Accepted Answer

The hydrostatic force on the back of the dam is given by the formula F = ρghA, where ρ is the density of water, g is the acceleration due to gravity, h is the height of the water column (150 m in this case), and A is the area of the back of the dam.

Using the given dimensions, we can calculate the area to be A = 1,200 m x 150 m = 180,000 m^2.

The average pressure is given by Pavg = ρgh, which in this case is (1,000 kg/m^3)(9.81 m/s^2)(150 m) = 1,471,500 N/m^2.

Therefore, the total force is F = Pavg x A = (1,471,500 N/m^2) x (180,000 m^2) = 264,690,000,000 N.

This is equivalent to 13.2 x 10^10 N, which is choice C.

The Water Behind Grand Coulee Dam Is 1 200 M