Figure 1

Figure 2

Materials:

Equilibrium tubes, colored water.

Description:

This is a homemade unit filled with colored water. It is large enough to show to the audience that the fluid level in all the connected tubes is the same regardless of the shape.

Explanation:

This demo illustrates Pascal’s theorem of communicating vessels, which relies on the idea that because gravity and pressure are constant for the communicating vessels, the equilibrium height for communicating vessels will be equal. A communicating vessel is a series of containers which are connected such that fluid can freely flow between them to come to a single equilibrium position. Because the pressure in a column of fluid relies only on the height of the column and not its shape or size, and the pressure that is exerted by the atmosphere above us is constant, the equilibrium height will naturally be at an equal point across all communicating vessels.

Source

Applications of the theory of communicating vessels include indoor plumbing, water towers, and hydraulic pumps and presses.

Note:

Please be very careful when handling this unit because there is no glassblower on campus to repair it anymore.

Written by: Sophia Sholtz