2C40.20 • Spinning a Tank of Water
Location: Cabinet 2
Photo shows the demonstration used at the University of Texas at Austin
Concepts Conveyed:
Instructions / Notes:
Demo Staff:
Photo shows the demonstration used at the University of Texas at Austin
Concepts Conveyed:
- Pressure in the rotating fluid increases with radius. The further from the axis, the more force is needed to keep the water moving in a circle, so pressure increases radially outward.
- To maintain rotational motion, a centripetal force is applied to the center/axis of the rotating platform.
- The surface of the water forms a parabolic curve when spinning due to gravity pulling the fluid inwards and the centrifugal force moving the fluid outwards.
Instructions / Notes:
- Spin the tank by applying torque to the edge of the rotating platform. The surface of the water should form a parabolic curve when spinning.
Demo Staff:
- Fill the container with colored water up to the fill line as labeled on the bottom right corner of the tank. Make sure the water is leveled with the top of the label.
- Add the tank to the top of the PASCO rotating platform and clamp the edges of the base of the tank to the platform’s edges as shown in the image.
- Wipe down the tank after use.
Last updated on April 29, 2025