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jakester17
Apr 30, 2009, 04:07 PM
We just started flow rate in our physics class and there was a question that said the velocity is 0.5m/s and the interior diameter is 0.03m. What is the flow rate? Any help would be great

FlyYakker
Apr 30, 2009, 06:27 PM
You have a diameter and a length. Go figure

Perito
May 1, 2009, 04:31 AM
The flow rate is volume / time. You know the velocity in meters per second

Velocity = \frac {meters}{sec}

The flow rate is

Flow Rate = \frac {meters^3}{sec}

So, to get from meters/sec to meters^3/sec, you multiply by meters^2. What value would have dimensions of meters^2? Why, the internal area of the pipe! (The area of a cross-section of the pipe).

You know the diameter of the pipe so you can easily calculate the internal radius of the pipe.

d = 2 r

Once you know the radius, you can calculate the cross-sectional area of the pipe:

A=\pi r^2