The Water Table: a fluid exhibit for the Carnegie Science Center

In the summer of 1995 the Carnegie Science Center, USA, a science museum for children, asked the Engineering Design Research Center (EDRC), a research and educational organization within Carnegie Mellon University, to assist them in the design of educational fluid exhibits. Among the ideas developed by the students working in the program was "The Water Table", a water channel display of variable speed water flow. This exhibit allows children to interactively play with a stimulating display while gaining insight into the flow behaviour. Specifically, children can compare and contrast laminar and turbulent flows, observe vortex shedding and flow separation as water travels around different shaped objects interrupting the flow. Several factors, both cognitive and technical, have been considered during the design process and have contributed to the learning experience. The educational goals of this project are most tangible when one looks at the multiple outcomes it has produced. One important outcome is the interactive fashion in which The Water Table encourages children in sharing, learning and understanding flow behaviour. Furthermore, this project has helped develop engineering and design skills of the undergraduate students involved. The objective of this paper is to describe the learning experience of the undergraduate students who designed, prototyped and built The Water Table exhibit.