Laminar/Turbulent Flow
[M | t++ | —]
Depending on conditions, either type of flow can be observed in a glass tube through which water is flowing.
Reversible Fluid Mixing
[M | t+ | ★★★★]
Surprising reversibility at low Reynolds number. Also a mechanical analog of spin echoes in NMR.
[In-Depth Description]
Poiseuille's Law
[L | t+ | ★★]
16-tube water tank to show relation between tube cross-section and flow rate.
[In-Depth Description]
Viscous Fluid
[M | t+ | ★★]
Viscosity, Stoke's law, Reynold's number, and terminal velocity are demonstrated at 100 Pascal Sec. (100,000 centipoise); cooled glycerine can be used to show the temperature dependence.
[In-Depth Description]
Poiseuille Double Fountain
[M | t++ | —]
A hose with a smaller opening squirts water higher than an open hose, because of viscosity.
Big Squirt / Little Squirt
[M | t++ | —]
A double fountain puzzler: which fountain squirts higher—the one with the big opening or the one with the small opening?
Parachutes
[M | t | —]
Drag effect of cross-sectional area is demonstrated by two falling disks of paper.
V squared Drag
[L | t++ | —]
Accurate determination and analysis of g for falling bodies shows v2 dependency of drag force.
Diffusion of Bromine Gas
[M | t++ | —]
Gas jar containing bromine linked to second containing air; diffusion can be seen as brown coloration of air jar.
Diffusion of Colored Water
[M | t+ | —]
Food coloring placed at bottom of water filled jar. Diffusion seen as color moves upwards through clear water.
Vortex Tube
[M | t++ | —]
This clever tube separates hot and cold air out of a jet of room temperature air and serves as a refrigerator.
Vortex Shedding in Air
[L | t+ | ★★★]
A thin wire, moving through the air, is made to vibrate in the audio range at the vortex shedding frequency.
Vortex Shedding in Water
[L | t+++ | ★★★]
Water moving around a cylindrical pendulum makes the cylinder swing at the vortex shedding frequency.
[In-Depth Description]
Turning Off g
[L | t+ | —]
A cup filled with water has a hole in the bottom. What kind of trajectory does the leaking water experience when the cup is dropped from up high?
Bernoulli's Principle
[L | t+ | ★★★]
Spinning ball in air stream moves perpendicular to flow in a way dependant on spin direction.
[In-Depth Description]
Bernoulli Wind Tunnel
[L | t+ | ★★]
Tunnel with different cross sections shows that pressure is dependant on air velocity.
[In-Depth Description]
Bernoulli Beach Ball
[M | t | ★★★]
Beach ball held aloft by an angled air stream.
[In-Depth Description]
Curve Ball
[M | t | ★★]
A styrofoam ball thrown with a Wham-O Trac-Ball racquet deviates from its principal trajectory due to the Magnus effect.
Contact Us
Mailing Address: Lecture Demonstration Services, Science Center, Rm B-08A, 1 Oxford Street, Cambridge, MA 02138
Campus Location: Science Center B-08A | Tel: (617) 495-5824 | Email: scidemos-at-fas.harvard.edu