FILM TITLE
Androids, New Pals
ACTIVITY TITLE
Hydraulic System
Type of Activity
Hands-on experiment
Age Group Orientation
10 and above
Number of
Participants
Subject
2
Uses of hydraulic system
Materials:
50 ml syringe, 25 ml syringe, water, rubber tube 70 cm in length and ½ cm in
diameter, different masses, holder, clip, base.
Procedure (photos to be added later)
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Fill the small syringe with water and make sure that there are no bubbles
inside it
Use the bigger syringe to fill the rubber tube with water
Hold the tube firmly from both ends to make sure that water will not spill out
of the tube and is not replaced by air.
Push the piston of the big syringe to completely empty it from air
Connect both syringes to both ends of the rubber tube avoiding air leakage
into the system
Fix the bigger syringe upright with the clip.
Press the piston of the small syringe lightly and observe the effect of this on
the bigger syringe
Try the same with different masses on the plunger of the big syringe.
Explanation
Hydraulic movement is used to increase the energy of fluids, whether in form of
potential or kinetic energy or increase in pressure of the fluid. More precisely, it can
be defined as a way to transform mechanical force into hydraulic energy. Hydraulic
engines use liquids not gases due to difference in properties and their coefficient of
compression. This experiment aims to transform small effective force on a small
spot into strong force that is able to raise weights. When we push the small piston,
the energy will be transferred to the liquid that is water in this experiment (it could
be another liquid) the second bigger piston moves according to Pascale’s principle.
Not only does it move, but the piston is also able to lift a mass . The resulting
force depends on the area of the piston, its diameter and the presser developed
inside the syringe.
Preparation time: 20 minutes
Activity time: 5 minutes
Additional information/ srouce:
http://www.engineeringtoolbox.com/hydraulic-force-calculatord_1369.html
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TzybCM-XQHU
The activity is suggested by Ms. Rula Dawrish, Renaissance school,
Jerusalem, Palestine.