Unit: Fluid Dynamics & Pressure
Why atmospheric pressure drops as you climb higher — it's the weight of the shrinking column of air above you. From the AP Fluids notes.
Why It Matters
Pressure in a fluid depends on depth, not shape or amount — that single idea explains hydraulic jacks, manometers, Pitot tubes, and why your ears pop on a plane.
Flow and Pressure in Pipes Explained: A breakdown of Bernoulli's principle, fluid friction, and the relationship between velocity and pressure in closed systems.
How a hydraulic jack works (Pascal Principle): 3D animation detailing how pressure applied to an enclosed fluid is transmitted undiminished to multiply force.
Manometer Explained | Working Principle: Explores the fundamental operation of U-tube manometers and how fluid displacement correlates to gauge pressure.
The Pitot Tube - Measuring Air Speed: Demonstrates the application of stagnation pressure and fluid dynamics to calculate fluid velocity.
How gas pumps know when to turn themselves off: An everyday application of the Venturi effect, creating a localized vacuum to trigger a mechanical shutoff.
Different liquids in a U-tube manometer - DEMO + SOLVE: A practical laboratory demonstration involving density calculations and hydrostatic equilibrium.