If two pressure gauges at the foot of two storage tanks are at the same elevation and the water levels are the same, what will the gauge on tank X, holding 1,000,000 gallons, read compared to tank Y, holding 500,000 gallons?

When two pressure gauges are located at the same elevation and measure the water levels in two storage tanks filled with the same liquid, the readings on the gauges will be based solely on the height of the water column above them. In this case, since both tanks have the same water level, the pressure exerted at the foot of each tank will be the same.

Pressure in a fluid is determined by the formula:

[ P = \rho g h ]

where ( P ) is the pressure, ( \rho ) is the density of the fluid, ( g ) is the acceleration due to gravity, and ( h ) is the height of the fluid column. Because the height ( h ) of the water column is identical in both tanks, and assuming the fluid's density is the same (water in this case), both pressure gauges will indicate the same pressure.

The capacity of each tank does not influence the pressure readings because pressure is a function of the height of the fluid column rather than the volume of liquid contained. Therefore, the gauge reading on tank X, holding 1,000,000 gallons, will indeed read the same as that of tank Y, which holds 500,000 gallons, as long as the