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Consider two concentric thin wall steel tubes, the larger one closed at the bott

ID: 2980143 • Letter: C

Question

Consider two concentric thin wall steel tubes, the larger one closed at the bottom and the inner one open. the tubes are filled with a fluid. A well fitting cylindrical plug that slides easily is dropped in the inner tube and a well fitting annular ring (doughnut) which slides easily is dropped between the two tubes. The weights of both plugs are the same. After oscillating a little the plugs settle down concentrically with one another as shown. What must be the relationship between the radii of the tubes? (ignore the wall thickness of the tubes)

Explanation / Answer

We know that pressure in a confined fluid is same

So if the height from bottom of both plugs are same,

then the pressure generated by each plug is same:

so

mg/(pi*r^2) = mg/(pi*(R^2-r^2))

ie same pressure ,R = outer radius,r = inner radius

=>r^2 = R^2-r^2

=>2*r^2 = R^2

=>R = r*sqrt(2)