Notes:
The Venturi Equation is an adjustable-size file that displays nicely on smart phones, on tablets such as the iPad, on Chromebooks, and on laptops and desktops. The size of the Interactive can be scaled to fit the device that it is displayed on. The compatibility with smart phones, iPads, other tablets, and Chromebooks make it a perfect tool for use in a 1:1 classroom.
Teaching Ideas and Suggestions:
Activities on the topic of Fluids have traditionally been absent from our website. We began adding CalcPad problem sets and Concept Builders in 2023. And now we have some simulations. This simulation provides an environment by which students can introduce a constriction or narrowing into a horizontal pipe and observe the effect of the constriction on other variables.
The interface has two distinct regions whose properties can be modified. By default, the fluid flows from left to right through the pipe - from region 1 to region 2. The four green circles are hot spots that can be dragged to change the length, diameter, and cross-sectional area of the two regions. Region 2 will always be the constricted area. Each region is equipped with a Venturi meter representing the height to which fluid is pressed up a narrow column at each location. Streamlines are also displayed in the simulation.
There are a variety of controls on the right side of the simulation that allow a user to alter other properties of the environment. These controls include:
- the fluid density
- the acceleration due to gravity
- the segment volume (which affects the horizontal distance between the cross-sections)
- the volumetric flow rate (which can be + or - and thus determines the direction of flow), and
- the baseline pressure for either region 1 or region 2.
Users can also enable/disable a variety of features of the display. Streamlines can be displayed. The Venturi equation, continuity equation, and equations for computing the height of the fluid in the Venturi meters can also be enabled or disabled.
Related Resources
There are numerous resources at The Physics Classroom website that serve as very complementary supports for the Venturi Equation simulation. These include:
- The Calculator Pad
Our Calculator Pad tool is sourced with more than 2500 ready-to-use Physics word problems. Each problem contains randomized numbers, an answer field for inputting an answer, immediate feedback, and (often) problem-specific help. Our Fluids section has two particularly applicable problem sets associated with the Venturi Equation. See Problem Set FM4 and Problem Set FM5 on the topic of mass amd energy conservation in fluid flow.
Credits
We owe a special thanks to Physics teacher Martin Kirby for donating the Venturi Equation Simulation to our Interactives collection. Martin has contributed many other simulations to our Interactives collection. You can view them all by visiting our page listing all
Martin Kirby Simulations. Or visit Martin's website (
kirbyx.com) to learn more.