From Algodoo

[edit] WATER TOWER

Target	Teacher: Key Stage 4 (14-) This lesson plan is not intended to be handed out to students but to be used as a teacher preparation and tutorial.
Time frame	45-60 min

[edit] Description

Most water supply systems are pressurized. This is accomplished by keeping the water elevated in “water towers” and using the waters own weight for building up pressure. This lesson allows the student to understand the transportation of water through such a system and understand that there is a relation between pressure, height of the “water pillar”, and flow velocity at the outlet. The pressure of the water can be observed indirectly by attaching a plug at the outlet with a spring.

[edit] Learning objectives

• Pressurized water supply system.
• Find the important parameters by experimentation.
• Relation between water pressure, pipe dimension, and flow velocity.

[edit] In class

Start by examining a real water tower and water supply system. What is the maximum height difference in the system. Let the student model a water tower, pipe, and outlet in Algodoo. Let them experiment with different dimensions of the water tower, pipe, and outlet. Why are water tower always placed at a high point in the area? Discuss how this can be visualized and explored in Algodoo using the Classmate PC. Let the students create scenes in Algodoo using the suggestions you came up with together or let them use their own ideas. Help the students make decisions and ask guiding questions. Encourage the students to follow the procedure Create – Predict – Interact – Evaluate. Allow the students to follow-up and share their experiences in class after the simulation.

Create a scene

Create an elevated fluid container (water tower) with a hole in the bottom. Draw pipes from the bottom to the desired outlet point. Add fluid to the container, e.g., create a box and liquify it*. The pressure of the water can be observed indirectly by attaching a plug at the outlet with a spring .

* Too many fluid “particles” make the simulation slow. Keep the size of the system (width and height) to about 10 meter to avoid this. Too small dimension of the pipes make the particles “tunnel”. Use thick enough walls to prevent this.

Make a prediction

What are the important parameters for the water pressure at the outlet?

• A) the height of a filled water tower.
• B) the width of a filled water tower.
• C) the length of the pipes.
• D) the height difference between the outlet and the water tower?

Run/Interact

Run the simulation and interact with it.

Evaluate

Explain the outcome of your tests. Why are water tower always placed at a high point in the area?