Q4CQ
Question
You can squirt water a considerably greater distance by placing your thumb over the end of a garden hose and then releasing, than by leaving it completely uncovered. Explain how this works.
Step-by-Step Solution
VerifiedThe fluid velocity increases when the area of the cross-section is decreased.
Flow rate is defined as the volume of fluid travelling through a given area in a given amount of time.
Water is an incompressible fluid. The density of the water remains almost the same. The flow rate of water is constant inside the garden hose pipe at all the locations.
When we place a thumb over the end of the garden hose pipe, water starts escaping through a smaller cross-sectional area. The equation of flow rate is \(Q = A\overline v \). Here, A is the cross-sectional area and \(\overline v \) .is the fluid velocity. Because the water flow rate (Q) is constant, reducing the cross-sectional area of the hose pipe will increase the fluid velocity, ensuring the flow's continuity. This explains why humans can squirt water a much longer distance.