What is the submarine's maximum safe depth?

Question

A research submarine has a 21 cm diameter window 8.0 cm thick. The manufacturer says the window can withstand forces up to 1.0 x 10^6 N.

What is the submarine's maximum safe depth? Assume that the pressure inside the submarine is maintained at 1.0 atm and that the density of seawater is 1030 kg/m3

Answer 1

The answer is a functional ratio between the thickness of the hull of the submarine, and the size of the captain's cajones.

:D

I could answer this for you, but I really don't like doing people's homework for them.  Why don't you try explaining where your stuck at?

Answer 2

You were equating force (1.0 x 10^6 N) with pressure. Since you maintained 1 atm pressure inside the sub the net pressure acting on the window is just the pressure due to the water which is (1030 x D), where D is the depth in meters. Now to get the force acting on the window, you multiply this pressure by the area of the window in m^2. Equate this force, which is expressed in terms of the depth, with the force rating of the window and you get the depth.