Q 10.23 Two vessels have the same base area but different shapes. The first vessel takes twice the volume of water that the second vessel requires to fill up to a particular common height. Is the force exerted by the water on the base of the vessel the same in the two cases? If so, why do the vessels filled with water to that same height give different readings on a weighing scale?
Since the height of the water level in the vessels is the same the Pressure at the bottom would be equal. As the area of the bottom is also the same the Force exerted by the water on the bottom would be the same.
The difference in the reading arises due to the fact that the weight depends on the volume of the water inside the container which is more in the first vessel. The vertical component of the force exerted by the fluid on the sidewalls would be more in the first vessel and the difference in this vertical component is equal to the difference in the readings on a weighing scale.