This simulation begins with an exploration of water pressure and atmospheric pressure. In the flow portion, scholars reshape a pipe and see fluid dynamics at work. The water tower portion encourages pupils to determine how water trajectory in a leaky water tower is altered by changing the variables of height and water level.

Concepts

pressure, water, fluids, bernoulli's principle, density

Show More Show Less

Additional Tags

science

Show More Show Less

Instructional Ideas

• Compare and contrast atmospheric pressure and water pressure
• Have class members use a plastic bottle to build their own leaky water tower and see how the trajectory changes

Classroom Considerations

• Requires Java 1.5.0_19 or later on Macs and Java 1.5.0_15 or later on Windows and Linux operating systems

Pros

• Includes a few teacher-submitted activities including how to use the simulation as part of a lab, as homework, and as a demo
• Translates the activity into 44 different languages
• Provides a document with insights into student thinking, including common misconceptions

Cons

• None

Common Core

RST.6-8.4 RST.9-10.4 RST.11-12.4