Problem 3.

55 [Difficulty: 1]

Given: Geometry of cup

Find: Force on each half of cup

Assumptions: (1) Tea is static and incompressible

(2) Atmospheric pressure on outside of cup
Solution:
⌠
⎮ dp
Basic equation FR = ⎮ p dA = ρ⋅ g
⌡ dh

or, use computing equation FR = pc⋅ A

The force on the half-cup is the same as that on a rectangle of size h = 8⋅ cm and w = 6.5⋅ cm

⌠ ⌠
⎮ ⎮
FR = ⎮ p dA = ⎮ ρ⋅ g⋅ y dA but dA = w⋅ dy
⌡ ⌡
h 2
⌠ ρ⋅ g⋅ w⋅ h
Hence FR = ⎮ ρ⋅ g⋅ y⋅ w dy =
⌡0 2
2
h ρ⋅ g⋅ w⋅ h
Alternatively FR = pc⋅ A and FR = pc ⋅ A = ρ⋅ g⋅ yc⋅ A = ρ⋅ g⋅ ⋅ h ⋅ w =
2 2
3 2
× 6.5⋅ cm × ( 8⋅ cm) × ⎛⎜
1 kg m 2 m ⎞ N⋅ s
Using given data FR = × 999⋅ × 9.81⋅ ⎟ × FR = 2.04⋅ N
2
m
3
s
2 ⎝ 100⋅ cm ⎠ kg ⋅m

Hence a teacup is being forced apart by about 2 N: not much of a force, so a paper cup works!