You can click on the image to download it in gif format.
You can click on the image to download it in gif format.
This can be used to demonstrate both conservation of kinetic energy and uniform acceleration of gravity.
The purpose is help a student visualize and quantify the conservation of kinetic energy in simple systems and the non conservative nature of the friction force.
Hydraulics can be employed to magnify a force. The work however cannot be magnified.
The hydraulic lever in the picture shows this. If we let an external force of a given magnitude F(i) be exerted on the input side which has an area of A(i), an external load compensates by exerting a force F(o)over the external area A(o). This keeps the system in equilibrium. The change in pressure, which is equal to the force divided by the area, is a constant value.
We know that if the work remains constant and the force increases, then the distance the fluid moves (displacement) is going to decrease. This is because the definition of work is is the integral of the force multiplied by the displacement. This can be observed by measuring the fluid level on either side of the apparatus both before and after, and then calculating the displacement. According to theory, the work should be:
The equipment needed for this demo is available in Rockefeller Rooms 402 and 403.
Place the hyudraulic lever on a stable surface. Make certain that the cross sectional area of both the input and output pistons have been measured and clearly recorded. Measure the initial levels of the water with no force applied. Begin to apply pressures in regular increments with the piston on the input side. Measure and record the displacement of the water on the both the input and output sides.
To return to the Mechanics Demo Catalogue .
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