OCR FM1 AS 2018 March — Question 3

Exam BoardOCR
ModuleFM1 AS (Further Mechanics 1 AS)
Year2018
SessionMarch
TopicDimensional Analysis

3 A student is investigating fluid flowing through a pipe.
In her first model she assumes a relationship of the form \(P = S \rho ^ { \alpha } g ^ { \beta } h ^ { \gamma }\) where \(\rho\) is the density of the fluid, \(h\) is the length of the pipe, \(P\) is the pressure difference between the ends of the pipe, \(g\) is the acceleration due to gravity and \(S\) is a dimensionless constant. You are given that \(\rho\) is measured in \(\mathrm { kg } \mathrm { m } ^ { - 3 }\).
  1. Use the fact that pressure is force per unit area to show that \([ P ] = \mathrm { ML } ^ { - 1 } \mathrm {~T} ^ { - 2 }\).
  2. Find the values of \(\alpha , \beta\) and \(\gamma\). The density of the fluid the student is using is \(540 \mathrm {~kg} \mathrm {~m} ^ { - 3 }\). In her experiment she finds that when the length of the pipe is 1.40 m the pressure difference between the ends of the pipe is \(3.25 \mathrm { Nm } ^ { - 2 }\).
  3. Find the length of the pipe for which her first model would predict a pressure difference between the ends of the pipe of \(4.65 \mathrm { Nm } ^ { - 2 }\). In an alternative model the student suggests a modified relationship of the form \(P = S \rho ^ { \alpha } g ^ { \beta } h ^ { \gamma } + \frac { 1 } { 2 } h v ^ { 2 }\), where \(v\) is the average velocity of the fluid in the pipe.
  4. Use dimensional analysis to assess the validity of her alternative model.