Fluids Demonstrations: Trailing Vortices, Plateau Border, Angle of Repose, and Flow Instability

Abstract

Demonstrations of physics phenomena via relatively simple devices and toys have been around for a long time. Because of the pedagogical value of demonstrations, this journal and other periodicals have published papers on the subject of classroom demonstrations including those related to fluid mechanics. Four new, low-cost apparatuses that demonstrate a variety of fluid mechanics phenomena are presented in this paper. The apparatuses are self-contained, instantly set up, require no electric power for operation, and are maintenance free. They can be used as demonstration tools to enhance classroom lectures and outreach activities. Alternatively, these apparatuses can be assigned as projects for students to construct and test. Further involvement, from an aesthetic point of view, might be to construct variations of them as decorative objects by collaborating with students/teachers in visual arts. Features of the apparatuses are presented first, followed by notes on fabrication to enable interested readers to replicate them.