Which Is Higher? Atlantic Ocean Or Pacific Ocean?

[TCO]

Originally posted by GePap


No, the Panama Canal is NOT just a channel. As I said before, the water in the canal is fresh water provided by the Chagres river, which while short has a very heavy volume due to the heavy tropical rainfall. The bulk of the Canal is at a higher elevation than BOTH oceans, which is why locks have to raise ships on both sides to get them into the Canal. In theory then you could place a damn on BOTH sides, with power generated by the waters of the Chagres of the artificial Gatun lake falling into both oceans.

I'm not talking about the current frigging canal! Sheesh. Ya morooon. Go back and reread my posts.

[BlackCat]

Originally posted by KrazyHorse


Again, this does not make a difference as far as the difference in "height" is concerned.

Variations in local gravity might make the surface of the ocean further away from the earth's centre at some points rather than others, but they will maintain the surface of the ocean as an equipotential. You can't slide down the tidal bulge, or the equatorial bulge or the variations in local gravity. Without dynamic forces (winds, currents, vibrations, etc.) the surface of the earth would be exactly an equipotential.

Can't remember anyone state otherwise. Actually, earth gravitation may be the only static force, while moon and sun gravitation, air pressure, currents and wind all are dynamic witch changes continuously.

[GePap]

Originally posted by TCO


I'm not talking about the current frigging canal! Sheesh. Ya morooon. Go back and reread my posts.

Why? They are your posts....

[TCO]

Originally posted by KrazyHorse
I just spent the last 13 hours of my life doing this

http://www.pha.jhu.edu/~mmcevoy/hw7.pdf

Great.

I actually liked the problems in that test you took where you got the award. Simple word problems where much of the trick is in figuring out how to get it into correct math. (For instance, I still got some doubts about the "drop tube" being appropriate for determing volumetric flow rate in hydraulics problems).

[KrazyHorse]

It's not appropriate for getting real answer. It is appropriate for figuring out an upper bound...

[KrazyHorse]

Originally posted by BlackCat


Can't remember anyone state otherwise. Actually, earth gravitation may be the only static force, while moon and sun gravitation, air pressure, currents and wind all are dynamic witch changes continuously.

My point is that this is not what they mean when they say that the Pacific is "6 metres higher"...

[KrazyHorse]

The 6 metres they're talking about is an actual 6 meter potential drop...

[TCO]

Originally posted by KrazyHorse
It's not appropriate for getting real answer. It is appropriate for figuring out an upper bound...

I'm not sure it is. If this was a gas moving through an orifice between two tanks at different pressure, could you bound the volumetric flow rate the same way?

[KrazyHorse]

Yes. Assuming we know the pressure difference (which we do; it's due entirely to the potential drop over long term; in short term it might be driven by currents or air pressure differential etc.) you can get the maximum flow rate between two vessels this way. This is a very standard method in basic physics (i.e. without actually knowing any of the details of fluid dynamics)

[TCO]

Originally posted by KrazyHorse
Yes. Assuming we know the pressure difference (which we do; it's due entirely to the potential drop over long term; in short term it might be driven by currents or air pressure differential etc.) you can get the maximum flow rate between two vessels this way. This is a very standard method in basic physics (i.e. without actually knowing any of the details of fluid dynamics)

harumph

[KrazyHorse]

I'm disappointed that your worship thread got closed.