Engineers have contemplated the usefulness of harnessing the tides in the Bay of Fundy (in Canada) as a source of electrical power generation. Because of the shape of the bay, the difference between low and high tide is on average 4 meters. The shape of the bay can be approximated as a rectangle with a width of 65 km and a length of 300 km.
a. Calculate the volume of water that flows out of the bay between high tide and low tide.
b. Given that the density of water is 1000 kg/m3, calculate the mass of this water.
c. Assuming that the mass calculated in part b is lowered a distance of 2.0 m over a time period of 6 hours, calculate the average power that an electrical generation device could, in theory, deliver.
a. Calculate the volume of water that flows out of the bay between high tide and low tide.
b. Given that the density of water is 1000 kg/m3, calculate the mass of this water.
c. Assuming that the mass calculated in part b is lowered a distance of 2.0 m over a time period of 6 hours, calculate the average power that an electrical generation device could, in theory, deliver.
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Being an engineer; its not quite that easy, but i will play along with the question :-)
a. Volume is pretty easy right; lenght x width x height
b. multiply by 1000 kg/m3
c. Use the potential energy equation mhg to calculate the energy, then divide by the time in seconds to get watts.
If you need more help go to http://hyperphysics.info/ and search for equations, examples, etc.
Cheers!
a. Volume is pretty easy right; lenght x width x height
b. multiply by 1000 kg/m3
c. Use the potential energy equation mhg to calculate the energy, then divide by the time in seconds to get watts.
If you need more help go to http://hyperphysics.info/ and search for equations, examples, etc.
Cheers!