 Solution

Neglect upstream speed and hydraulic losses. If $H$ is the upstream free-surface height above the crest, the specific energy at the crest is $H=y+v^2/(2g)$ and flow per unit width is $Q=yv$. At the critical broad-crested control section, extremizing $Q^2=2g{y}^2(H-y)$ gives $y=2H/3$ and $v^2=gy$. ThereforeFinite approach speed, friction and contraction introduce measured discharge coefficients; the ideal result assumes a long enough crest for the near-hydrostatic critical-flow approximation.