Tell me more ×
Physics Stack Exchange is a question and answer site for active researchers, academics and students of physics. It's 100% free, no registration required.
up vote -1 down vote favorite

A pneumatic cylinder is kept vertically straight on a weighing scale, which is set at 0 for the setup.

now a force of 1000 N is applied on the cylinder.

what is the reading of scale.

assume the outlet/ inlet to be blocked hence the mass of air inside the cylinder shall remain constant all the times and cylinder can move in y(vertical) direction by compressing the air inside it on application of external force.

let diameter of bore of cylinder be 60 mm and stroke be 50 mm.

will the reading be less than 1000N or less or more??

more info can be supplied if required.

share|improve this question
2  
I'm sure David will step in as well, but let me be the first to welcome you to the physics SE. :) – AdamRedwine Feb 2 '12 at 15:49
Please see our homework policy. We expect homework problems to have some effort put into them, and deal with conceptual issues. If you edit your question to explain (1) What you have tried, (2) the concept you have trouble with, and (3) your level of understanding, I'll be happy to reopen this. (Flag this message for ♦ attention with a custom message, or reply to me in the comments with @Manishearth to notify me) – Manishearth♦ Jan 3 at 13:27
@Manishearth It was not a homework,one of the moderators tagged it with HW tag, not me there was some confusion regarding the cylinder forces between me and my friend ... and in absence of any guidance, we decided to post here. Is it wrong to ask your doubts here or should we ask only super smart questions?? I believe no question is stupid question.actually it was all abt the buckling strength & weight experienced by the components below the cylinder fitted on my robot,its a different story,you reopen it or not, is your choice, but perhaps i am not so intelligent, forgive me for my ignorance. – user7476 Jan 4 at 14:09
@user7476: Just to be clear (don't worry, this isn't evident to most), the homework policy applies to all such questions ("given data X, find Y"). This still seems salvageable, though -- give a bit of your own discussion (how you've tried to solve the confusion between yourselves), and then ping me :) – Manishearth♦ Jan 4 at 19:10

closed as too localized by Qmechanic♦, Manishearth♦, Sklivvz♦ Jan 3 at 13:27

This question is unlikely to help any future visitors; it is only relevant to a small geographic area, a specific moment in time, or an extraordinarily narrow situation that is not generally applicable to the worldwide audience of the internet. For help making this question more broadly applicable, see the FAQ.

1 Answer

up vote 0 down vote accepted

The reading will depend on how long you wait. If you wait until the gas is compressed and the system reaches steady-state, the scale will reflect the 1000 N force.

The reading on the scale from the moment the force is applied until steady-state is reached will depend on the density, compressibility, pressure and other characteristics of the gas as well as the friction inherent in the system. The accuracy of your model will improve the more of these considerations you take into account.

share|improve this answer

Not the answer you're looking for? Browse other questions tagged or ask your own question.