FLUID CONIC (TWIRL - A - SLOPE)
by Erica BatacI. Objectives: - to demonstrate the relationship between the physical forces of nature and the mathematical concept of a parabola II. Description: A turntable holds a rectangular plexi-glass container filled with a red liquid. When the turntable is spun, the water forms a parabolic curve III. Materials: - a clear, thin, rectangular plastic box, about 12 x 12 x 1 inches(30 x 30 x 2.5 cm). (Yu can buy one ready-made, or you can easily glue one together from pieces of plastic available at a plastics store)
- Silicone seal adhesive to make the box waterproof
- A lazy Susan with a diameter bigger than the length of the box. (A RubbermaidTM lazy Susan or another inexpensive household variety will work well)
- 2 wood or plastic blocks, each about 2 x 6 x � inches(5 x 15 x 1.3 cm), to fasten the box to the lazy Susan
- tap water IV. Procedure: - (15 minutes or less with a ready-made box; one hour or less if you make your own box) The seams of the box need t are watertight, so use the silicone sea adhesive to plug any leaks. Either cut a hole in the top of the box, or leave the top of the box open.
- Glue the blocks to the lazy Susan alongside the box, to hold the box firmly in place V. Applications/Uses: A similar spinning process can be used to create 3-dimensional parabolic mirrors for use in reflecting light and sound waves. VI. Reference: This project was inspired by Snack 106 in the Exploratorium Science Snackbook  print
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