Fish swimming above a dam may be up to 300 feet beneath the

Fish swimming above a dam may be up to 300 feet beneath the surface of the lake. What ambient pressure change (give the absolute value) would a fish experience if it was pulled up to a boat? Calculate in kPa and in atm.

Solution

Pressure change, P=gh where is the density of water; = 1000 kg/m³

                                               g is the gravitational constant; g = 9.81 m/s²

                                               h is the distance from the surface; h = 300 ft = 91.44 m (1 ft = 0.3048 m)

Hence P = (1000)(9.81)(91.44) = 897026.4 Pa = 897.0264 kPa = 8.8527 atm                  (1 kPa = 0.009869 atm)