Additional Info

• ID Code: F1-06
• Purpose: Shows that pressure is dependent on depth, not shape of container
• Description:
  

  This set of conjoined glass tubes is filled with green-dyed water. The water level in the four different tubes is the same even though the volumes and shapes of the tubes are very different.

  Engagement Suggestion

  • For advanced students, consider tilting the tubes slightly, then plugging them with corks so that the different amounts of trapped air cause the water to be at different levels. Challenge students to analyze why this changes the results, then remove the corks to show what happens.
  

  Background

  This illustrates that the pressure in an open container of liquid is dependent only on the depth, not the shape or area.

• Availability: Available