A fresh water marine biologist needs to put an observation window in a tank. She
ID: 3030481 • Letter: A
Question
A fresh water marine biologist needs to put an observation window in a tank. She has narrowed it down to the following two designs:
The top of each window will be 20ft below the surface of the water. The first is an isosceles triangle with a base of 6ft and a height of 6ft. The second is a rectangle combined with a semicircle. The rectangle is 3ft across and the semicircle has a radius of 3ft. Both windows are rated to withstand 40,000 lbs of force. Which window, if either, should she choose? Explain.
Explanation / Answer
First case is favorable as explained because of volume displaced in this case is less and hence less pressure exerted