In an older gravity-fed residential heating system, a boiler in the basement heats water, which then travels up to radiators on the second floor. This system operates entirely without the use of a mechanical circulation pump. Which of the following best describes the primary mechanism causing this upward flow of water?
- The heated water expands and decreases in density, allowing it to be displaced upward by cooler, denser water.Cevap
- BHeat transfers continuously through the solid metal pipes via direct contact, drawing the surrounding water upward.
- CThe heated water contracts and increases in density, creating a pressure differential that pulls fluid toward the upper floors.
- DThe boiler increases the weight of the water molecules, generating a greater buoyant force that pushes them up the pipes.
Cevap
The heated water expands and decreases in density, allowing it to be displaced upward by cooler, denser water.
The correct answer accurately describes natural convection. When fluid is heated, its molecules move apart (thermal expansion). This decreases the fluid's density relative to the surrounding cooler fluid. Gravity pulls the denser, cooler fluid downward more strongly, which mechanically displaces the warmer, lighter fluid, pushing it upward.
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Natural Convection and Fluid Density
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