Education
Flow Channel
What happens?
You see a flow of simulated water (silicon oil) down a low angle channel. You can use a magnet to place shapes into the liquid flow, and to turn the shapes to see how the streamlining or turbulence of the flow around them is affected by their position and orientation.
How does it work?
As you turn the shapes you can see that the orientation can affect the flow of water past the ship. If the shape is pointing into the flow, the water passes smoothly. If the shape is across the flow there is turbulence at its edges.
Why is it important?
Streamlining is the shaping of an object, like the hull of a ship, to reduce the amount of resistance to its motion through the water. A curved shape allows the hull to move smoothly through the water. Streamlining reduces the amount of water resistance to the movement of the ship, and conserves energy.
How does it relate to the primary curriculum?
- Curriculum objectives : Economic awareness
- Cross-curricular skills : Communication (if working in a pair or small group)
- Thinking skills and personal capabilities : Thinking, problem solving, decision making
- Area of learning - The world around us: Pupils can explore the causes and effects of movement, forces and energy
- Learning experiences : Investigating and problem solving; Offers choice; Enquiry based
- Attitudes and dispositions: Curiosity
How does it relate to the post-primary curriculum?
- Science: Pupils should have opportunities to: explore forces and energy transfer; develop their skills of investigation and scientific enquiry
Thinking skills
Asking appropriate questions; Identifying factors in the situation; Generalising: using experiment and inductive reasoning; Analysing elements of the situation; Comparing and contrasting elements of the situation; Perceiving and establishing relationships between consequences and their causes; Drawing conclusions, or relating conclusions and reasons
Learning styles
Visual; Kinaesthetic; Spatial
Where can you find out more?
www.simscience.org/fluid/index.html on fluid flow