10.30 Two narrow bores of diameters 3.0 mm and 6.0 mm are joined together to form a U-tube open at both ends. If the U-tube contains water, what is the difference in its levels in the two limbs of the tube? The surface tension of water at the temperature of the experiment is 7.3 × 10–2 N m–1. Take the angle of contact to be zero and density of water to be 1.0 × 103 kg m–3 (g = 9.8 ms-2).

The radius of the first bore, r1=d12=1.5×10-3 m

The radius of the second bore, r2=d22=3×10-3 m

The surface tension of water, s = 7.3 × 10–2 N m–1

The angle of contact between the bore surface and water, θ = 0

Let h1 and h2 be the heights to which water rises in the first and second tubes respectively.

Then,

h1=2s cosθr1ρg ...(i)
h2=2s cosθr2pg ...(ii)

The difference between the levels of water in the two limbs of the tube:

h1-h2=2s cosθr1ρg-2s cosθr2ρg=2s cosθρg[1r1-1r2]=2×7.3×10-2×11×103×9.8[11.5×10-3-13×10-3]=4.966×10-3 m=4.97 mm