Question:medium

A Persian wheel with an average discharge of 230 litres/minute irrigates 1 ha of wheat crop in 50 hrs. What is the average depth of irrigation?

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Ensure that all units are consistent:
\[ Q \times t = A \times d \] \[ \frac{230 \times 10^{-3} \text{ m}^3/\text{min} \times (50 \times 60) \text{ min}}{10,000 \text{ m}^2} = 0.069\text{ m} = 6.9\text{ cm} \]
  • 3.6 cm
  • 4 cm
  • 5 cm
  • 6.9 cm
Show Solution

The Correct Option is D

Solution and Explanation

Step 1: Convert the Persian wheel's discharge to a per hour rate first.
The discharge is given as 230 litres per minute, so multiplying by 60 gives the hourly rate: \[ 230 \times 60 = 13800 \text{ litres/hour} = 13.8 \text{ m}^3/\text{hour} \]
Step 2: Multiply by the total operating time to get the total volume delivered.
The wheel runs for 50 hours, so the total volume of water applied to the field is \[ V = 13.8 \text{ m}^3/\text{hr} \times 50 \text{ hr} = 690 \text{ m}^3 \]
Step 3: Convert the irrigated area to square metres and divide.
The area is 1 hectare, which is \( 10{,}000 \text{ m}^2 \), so the average depth spread over the field is \[ d = \frac{690 \text{ m}^3}{10{,}000 \text{ m}^2} = 0.069 \text{ m} \]
Step 4: Convert to centimetres to match the answer choices.
\[ 0.069 \text{ m} \times 100 = 6.9 \text{ cm} \] which lines up exactly with one of the given options.
\[ \boxed{6.9 \text{ cm}} \]
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