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Measurement of Bitumen Viscosity in a Room-Temperature Drop Experiment: Student Education, Public Outreach and Modern Science in One

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Title: Measurement of Bitumen Viscosity in a Room-Temperature Drop Experiment: Student Education, Public Outreach and Modern Science in One
Language: English
Authors: Widdicombe, A. T., Ravindrarajah, P., Sapelkin, A., Phillips, A. E., Dunstan, D., Dove, M. T., Brazhkin, V. V., Trachenko, K.
Source: Physics Education. Jul 2014 49(4):406-411.
Availability: Institute of Physics Publishing. The Public Ledger Building Suite 929, 150 South Independence Mall West, Philadelphia, PA 19106. Tel: 215-627-0880; Fax: 215-627-0879; e-mail: info@ioppubusa.com; Web site: http://journals.iop.org
Peer Reviewed: Y
Page Count: 6
Publication Date: 2014
Document Type: Journal Articles
Reports - Descriptive
Education Level: Higher Education
Postsecondary Education
Descriptors: Foreign Countries, Science Instruction, Science Experiments, Physics, Measurement, Computation, Undergraduate Students, College Science, Web Sites, Demonstrations (Educational), Scientific Concepts, Longitudinal Studies
Geographic Terms: Australia
DOI: 10.1088/0031-9120/49/4/406
ISSN: 0031-9120
Abstract: The slow flow of a viscous liquid is a thought-provoking experiment that challenges students, academics and the public to think about some fundamental questions in modern science. In the Queensland demonstration--the world's longest-running experiment, which has earned the Ig Nobel prize--one drop of pitch takes about ten years to fall, leading to problems for actually observing the drops. Here, we describe our recent demonstration of slowly-flowing bitumen where appreciable flow is observed on the timescale of months. The experiment is free from dissipative heating effects and has the potential to improve the accuracy of measurement. Bitumen viscosity was calculated by undergraduate students during the summer project. Worldwide access to the experiment, as it runs, is provided by webcams uploading the images to a dedicated website, enhancing the student education experience and promotion of science. This demonstration serves as an attractive student education exercise and stimulates the discussion of fundamental concepts and hotly debated ideas in modern physics research: the difference between solids and liquids, the nature of the liquid-glass transition, the emergence of long timescales in a physical process and the conflict between human intuition and physical reality.
Abstractor: As Provided
Number of References: 27
Entry Date: 2014
Accession Number: EJ1037490
Database: ERIC
FullText Text:
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  Data: Measurement of Bitumen Viscosity in a Room-Temperature Drop Experiment: Student Education, Public Outreach and Modern Science in One
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  Data: <searchLink fieldCode="SO" term="%22Physics+Education%22"><i>Physics Education</i></searchLink>. Jul 2014 49(4):406-411.
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  Data: Institute of Physics Publishing. The Public Ledger Building Suite 929, 150 South Independence Mall West, Philadelphia, PA 19106. Tel: 215-627-0880; Fax: 215-627-0879; e-mail: info@ioppubusa.com; Web site: http://journals.iop.org
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  Data: 10.1088/0031-9120/49/4/406
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  Data: 0031-9120
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  Data: The slow flow of a viscous liquid is a thought-provoking experiment that challenges students, academics and the public to think about some fundamental questions in modern science. In the Queensland demonstration--the world's longest-running experiment, which has earned the Ig Nobel prize--one drop of pitch takes about ten years to fall, leading to problems for actually observing the drops. Here, we describe our recent demonstration of slowly-flowing bitumen where appreciable flow is observed on the timescale of months. The experiment is free from dissipative heating effects and has the potential to improve the accuracy of measurement. Bitumen viscosity was calculated by undergraduate students during the summer project. Worldwide access to the experiment, as it runs, is provided by webcams uploading the images to a dedicated website, enhancing the student education experience and promotion of science. This demonstration serves as an attractive student education exercise and stimulates the discussion of fundamental concepts and hotly debated ideas in modern physics research: the difference between solids and liquids, the nature of the liquid-glass transition, the emergence of long timescales in a physical process and the conflict between human intuition and physical reality.
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  Data: 2014
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