Design of a multi-purpose experiment for use in a fluid mechanics lab

A set of new experiments that include the use of a Pasco force and pressure transducer were created to demonstrate the basic concepts of fluid properties, pressure versus depth, force on a gate and the conservation of mass. By designing a simple multipurpose apparatus all of these basic principles were shown to the students. Preliminary results show that despite the simple nature of the experiments, the student understanding was increased. This paper will describe the concepts behind the design of the new experiments and discuss the preliminary results related to learning improvements discovered as a result of moving to a number of small scale experiments.