The Physics Philes, lesson 91: Go with the Flow
Last week we learned about the continuity equation in fluid mechanics. To refresh your memory, that equation says that the speed of the fluid flow can change along the path of the fluid. The pressure can vary, as well, depending on the height of the fluid and the speed of …
The Physics Philes, lesson 90: Don’t Cross the Streams!
So far in our discussion of fluid mechanics we’ve been dealing with properties of fluids when those fluids are at rest. I think we have that pretty much mastered, so it’s time to move on to something a little more complex: fluid in motion, aka fluid flow! Fluid flow is …
The Physics Philes, lesson 88: Under Pressure
Last week we started talking about the basics of fluid mechanics. This week we’ll continue on with looking at pressure in fluids. We’ve discussed pressure before, but now we’re going to look at through a fluid lens. Let’s think about a fluid at rest. When a fluid is at rest …
The Physics Philes, lesson 87: It’s Your Density
Today is a very exciting day, young readers. Today is a day we start a new physics topic. Goodbye, periodic motion! Hello, fluid mechanics! As usual when we start a new topic, we need to get down the basics. Fluid mechanics, as may or may not be obvious, is the …