Question

The city of Yellowknife in the Northwest Territories of Canada is on the shore of Great Slave Lake. The average high in July is $21^{\circ} \mathrm{C}$ and the average low in January is $-31{ }^{\circ} \mathrm{C}$. Great Slave Lake has a volume of $2090 \mathrm{~km}^{3}$ and is the deepest lake in North America, with a depth of $614 \mathrm{~m}$. What is the temperature of the water at the bottom of Great Slave Lake in January? a) $-31^{\circ} \mathrm{C}$ b) $-10^{\circ} \mathrm{C}$ c) $0^{\circ} \mathrm{C}$ d) $4^{\circ} \mathrm{C}$ e) $32^{\circ} \mathrm{C}$

Name: Problem 8, Chapter 17: University Physics with Modern Physics
Uploaded: 2021-06-07T15:04:30-08:00
Duration: 1 min 42 s
Channel: Matthew Baker

   The city of Yellowknife in the Northwest Territories of Canada is on the shore of Great Slave Lake. The average high in July is $21^{\circ} \mathrm{C}$ and the average low in January is $-31{ }^{\circ} \mathrm{C}$. Great Slave Lake has a volume of $2090 \mathrm{~km}^{3}$ and is the deepest lake in North America, with a depth of $614 \mathrm{~m}$. What is the temperature of the water at the bottom of Great Slave Lake in January?
a) $-31^{\circ} \mathrm{C}$
b) $-10^{\circ} \mathrm{C}$
c) $0^{\circ} \mathrm{C}$
d) $4^{\circ} \mathrm{C}$
e) $32^{\circ} \mathrm{C}$

University Physics with Modern Physics

Wolfgang Bauer, Gary… 1st Edition

Chapter 17, Problem 8

Instant Answer

Solved by Expert Matthew Baker

06/07/2021

Step 1

This means that the coldest water will sink to the bottom of the lake. Second, we know that the average low temperature in January is $-31^{\circ} \mathrm{C}$. However, this is the air temperature, not the water temperature. Show more…

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The city of Yellowknife in the Northwest Territories of Canada is on the shore of Great Slave Lake. The average high in July is $21^{\circ} \mathrm{C}$ and the average low in January is $-31{ }^{\circ} \mathrm{C}$. Great Slave Lake has a volume of $2090 \mathrm{~km}^{3}$ and is the deepest lake in North America, with a depth of $614 \mathrm{~m}$. What is the temperature of the water at the bottom of Great Slave Lake in January? a) $-31^{\circ} \mathrm{C}$ b) $-10^{\circ} \mathrm{C}$ c) $0^{\circ} \mathrm{C}$ d) $4^{\circ} \mathrm{C}$ e) $32^{\circ} \mathrm{C}$

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Key Concepts

Water’s Density Anomaly

Water is unique in that it reaches its maximum density at approximately 4°C. This property means that as water cools below this temperature, it becomes less dense, leading colder water near the surface to float rather than sink. This anomaly is essential in understanding how water behaves under different temperature conditions.

Thermal Stratification in Lakes

In deep lakes during winter, the cooling at the surface results in a stratified temperature profile. Although the surface water may reach temperatures far below 4°C, the denser water remains at the bottom, maintaining a relatively constant temperature around 4°C. This phenomenon explains why, despite extreme cold at the surface, the water at the bottom of a deep lake stays warmer.

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