
A length of piping connects the rain gutters on a house roof to the drain in the ground. The house is 3 stories, or about 8 meters in height. If a hole forms in the pipe at the midpoint, approximately what will the velocity of the water be as it escapes through the hole? Ignore water flow and use kinematics.

Loading ...
Correct Answer: B. 9 m/s
The water will exit at a velocity which is proportional to the height it has fallen, according to the equation v = sqrt(2gh). This can be derived from the basic equation for velocity and displacement, v2 = 2a * s, where a is acceleration, and s is displacement (or in this case height). Thus, the height the water has fallen in this problem is 4 meters, and v = 8.85m/s, which we round up to 9.
Get it right? Tweet at us:
Subscribe below to receive the MCAT Question of the Day delivered straight to your inbox every morning.