Electricity and Magnetism -- Fluids

Flowing Fluids

Fluids don't have a particular shape (the way a brick does). They acquire the shape of their container by flowing. Let's study how fluids flow, so that we will be better able to understand electrical current.

Here are some things to think about and do as we start the unit on fluids. Each of the following questions requires that you actually do something with a fluid to investigate the question posed, not just talk about what might happen. You will find some tubing in your kit; you will also need some water and some containers to put it in. And a mop!

Please do the following brief investigations.

A fundamental characterization of a flowing fluid is the flow rate, which is the volume of liquid that is transmitted in a unit of time. We could determine the flow rate of the drinking fountain by measuring the amount of liquid it emits in ten seconds. Or we could measure how long it takes to fill a measuring cup of known volume, and then calculating
Flow rate = volume produced / time to produce it
Using your own method, measure the flow rate of the water fountain. Compare it to the flow rate of another faucet turned on full, and just barely turned on (so that there is a tiny stream of water being produced).
Let's make a siphon. To do this, we need a container mostly full of water, and a piece of tubing from the kit. Fill the tubing with water somehow -- immersing it in the container, for example. Then block one end with a finger, and place the tube so that one end is under water in the container, and the other is outside the container, and no higher than the other end.

Fill the tube Pull it out, with the end blocked Unblock the tube

Now unblock the tube --- and look for a mop! Practice doing this until you are sure you can make it happen every time.

This symbol means, "Write in your journal." This time, write about what you learned, and any questions or problems you encountered. We will ask to see your journals at the end of the workshop. Keeping records along the way is part of the workshop assessment, as well as an important part of the learning process.
Check the box when you are done:

(This is a checklist that you can use to keep track of which pages you have completed. It's just for you to use, if you like).

Next :Siphon


Fill the tube	Pull it out, with the end blocked	Unblock the tube