We have investigated the motion of water flow through glass tubes of different shapes by calculating the value of the Reynolds number denoted as Re. We know that at a given flow rate the value of Re determines the type of flow being classified as laminar, transitional or tubulent. The dependence of Re in different configurations of glass tubes as…

When the thermal expansion of water is discussed in school or university lessons, functional relationships are often inferred without considering measurement uncertainties. Moreover, in some learning materials, the goal of experimentation and the experimental setup do not match. This creates the wrong picture of scientific practice. In this…

Water exhibits a maximum in density at normal pressure at around 4° degree temperature. This paper demonstrates that during cooling, at around 4 °C, the temperature remains constant for a while because of heat exchange associated with convective currents inside the water. Superficial approach implies it as a new anomaly of water, but actually it…

In hydrostatics, pressure measurement with U-gauges and their relationship to density is a well-known experiment. Very little is studied or experimented with the dynamics of the movement of a liquid in a U-tube probably due to its theoretical complexity but, after all, it is a simple damped oscillating system. In this paper we present a relatively…

We report a laboratory activity, carried out along with high- and secondary-school students, that can be done to increase the interest of the young in scientific studies. Groups of selected students "adopted" experiments at physics research laboratories, under the guidance of university researchers. Subsequently, the students…

We propose a series of experiments involving balance readings of an object naturally floating or forced to be partially or fully immersed in water contained in a beaker sitting on an electronic scale balance. Students were asked to predict, observe and explain each case. The teacher facilitated the learning by asking probing questions, giving…