Demonstrations

Terminal Velocity

Code Number :	2C30.50
Disclaimer:	Reprinted by permission of Dick Berg, University of Maryland, for use on this website. The demonstrations contained and referenced herein are listed for the purposes of cataloging and describing physics demonstrations which should be conducted only under the direction of a trained instructional support professional or physicist. These demonstrations are not presented for the purpose of being conducted by persons unconnected to this Facility and/or persons not consulting with or being supervised by the recognized instructional support professional or physicist and his/her staff. The University is responsible only for those demonstrations carried out using its own equipment using established safety and scheduling policies, and bears no responsibility for those choosing to use this source material for their own purposes. All demonstrations described and contained herein are public domain, and can also be found in reference materials in libraries, bookstores, and electronic sources. Further information regarding legal liability in use of demonstrations and labs will be found on the web site Injuries in School/College Laboratories in USA. The University of Iowa Disclaimers: University of Iowa Disclaimer All Rights Reserved..
Condition :	Good
Principle :	Viscosity
Area of Study :	Heat and Fluids
Equipment :	Tall Glass Cylinders (2), Vacuum Pump Oil, Water, Assorted ball, marbles, and BB's, Dishwashing Detergent or Shampoo.
Procedure :	Place water in one of the cylinders and the pump oil in the other. Light objects dropped into the oil should reach a definite terminal velocity which will not be apparent in a water column of the same height. Do not try this with heavy objects as they may reach a velocity great enough to break the bottom of the glass column. Dishwashing detergents and shampoos will work for this demonstration but you will want to chose only those in which you can see objects clearly.

References

Howard Brand, "Action-Reaction at a Distance", TPT, Vol. 40, # 3, Mar. 2002, p. 136.

Roger Blickensderfer, "Is the Water Safe to Drink?" TPT, Vol. 34, # 2, p. 83 - 84, (Feb. 1996).

John H. Dodge, "Fluid Resistance and Terminal Velocity", TPT, Vol. 30, # 7, Oct. 1992, p. 420.

C. W. Tompson and J. L. Wragg, "Terminal Velocity on an Air track", TPT, Vol. 29, # 3, Mar. 1991, p. 178.

Metin Yersel , "A Simple Demonstration of Terminal Velocity", TPT, Vol. 29, # 6, June 1991, p. 334.

Ernest Zebrowski, Jr., "Superterminal Velocities", TPT, Vol. 27, # 8, Nov. 1989, p. 618.

"Figuring Physics", TPT, Vol. 26, # 2, Feb. 1988, p. 118.

Carl C. Fields, "Swimming in Europa's Ocean", TPT, Vol. 25, # 8, Nov. 1987, p. 508.

"About Terminal Velocity", TPT, Vol. 22, # 4, Apr. 1984, p. 256 - 257.

A. Muriel, "Mighty-Mo" Mechanics", TPT, Vol. 16, # 3, Mar. 1978, p. 160.

John Dowd, "An Interactive Computer Experiment for the Introductory Laboratory", AJP, Vol. 46, (1), Jan. 1978, p. 63.

John Dowd, "Erratum: "An Interactive Computer Experiment for the Introductory Laboratory", AJP, Vol. 46, (10), Oct. 1978, p. 1078.

Fm-1: Freier and Anderson, A Demonstration Handbook for Physics.

II. Stokes' Law Demonstration: Free Help From the Drug-Store.

Mail Questions and Comments to: Dale Stille