Rohit Velankar, a senior at Fox Chapel Area High School, found himself pondering the rhythmic sound of juice pouring into a glass. This simple everyday task sparked a curiosity in him about whether a container’s elasticity could influence the way its contents drained. Initially, Rohit’s inquiry was meant for a science fair project, but it turned into something much more significant when he collaborated with his father, Sachin Velankar, a professor of chemical and petroleum engineering at the University of Pittsburgh Swanson School of Engineering.
Together, they set up an experiment in their family’s basement to explore this question further. Their collaborative efforts led to the publication of their first paper as father and son, which appeared in the journal Physics of Fluids. Sachin Velankar emphasized his investment in the project, stating, “We agreed that once we started on the experiments, we’d need to take it to completion.” This commitment to scientific exploration drove them to delve deeper into the relationship between container flexibility and fluid dynamics.
Rohit’s initial experiments revealed that deli containers with rubber lids emptied faster than those with plastic lids. According to Velankar, this difference in drainage speed is due to the pressure changes within the container as the fluid exits. The study showed that highly flexible containers, such as IV fluid bags or boxed wine, could dispense fluid without the characteristic “glugging” sound. However, the Velankars suspected that the elasticity of other types of bottles could also impact drainage speed.
To further explore this phenomenon, the Velankars constructed their own acrylic bottles with rubber lids using resources available at the Fox Chapel Area High School’s makerspace. They installed sensors near the bottom of each bottle to monitor pressure oscillations during drainage. By adjusting the hole’s diameter, they were able to simulate different levels of flexibility in the containers. Their experiments confirmed that flexible bottles indeed drain faster, albeit with larger and less frequent “glugs.”
The Velankars’ father-son research project sheds light on the intricate relationship between container flexibility and fluid drainage. Their collaborative efforts not only resulted in a published paper but also provided valuable insights into the underlying mechanisms at play in everyday phenomena like pouring juice. This study serves as a testament to the power of curiosity and collaboration in scientific exploration.
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