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Shuttle Simulations Results
Contact Angle Experiment
From: Land'O Lakes, Florida
Pine View Middle School
Ms. Niles Instructor
- Lab Technicians:
Farid Karimi
Matt Sprunt
- Purpose:
To measure the contact angle of a fluid. Also to explore the properties
of fluid in microgravity.
- Hypothesis:
We believe that the results will prove that when water is wedged between
two smooth surfaces, it will rise. In microgravity, we believe that
it will rise higher.
- Questions:
- What is the mathematical relationship between the contact angle
and the angle between the two slides?
Contact angle = 90 - ½ wedge angle
- Why is it important to understand the behavior of fluids in microgravity?
When we have fully understood the behavior
of fluids in microgravity, we can then use the knowledge to our
advantage. We could possibly explore new ways to extinguish fire
on the space shuttle. Also we could apply the facts to further
under-digestion in space.
- Results:
We learned that when the fluid is wedged between the two surfaces, it
would rise. Even on the Earth's surface, force eventually wins over
the downward pull of gravity. From this the fluid rises up. In the absence
of gravity, the contact angle will rise drastically. When the angle
is increased, the contact angle decreases, and vice versa.
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