Discussion

Generally, there are three main flows that we should focus on this experiment. First is a
laminar flow. A laminar flow is a flow when fluid flows in a smooth streamline. Next is
transition flow. A transition flow is a flow that contains both laminar and turbulent flow.
Lastly, turbulent flow is a flow when the flowing fluid is characterized by velocity,
fluctuations and eddies.

Based on the Reynolds experiment, when a thin filament of dye injected into laminar flow
appears as a single line, a laminar flow will occur. Basically, there is no dispersion of dye
throughout the flow. However, there is a slow dispersion of dye due to molecular motion.
When a dye filament injected into a turbulent flow, the dispersion process will occur quickly
throughout the flow. Then, the lines of dye breaks into myriad entangled threads of dye. We
have observed that there were eddies on the turbulent flow.

Before we start with the calculation of the Reynolds number, the first thing we should do is
measuring the kinematic viscosity, diameter of the glass tube, and the area of bell mounted
glass tube. The kinematic viscosity is 0.89 10-6 m2/s, the diameter of the glass tube is
0.0156m and the area of bell mounted glass tube is 1.91 10-4 m2.

The main objective of this experiment is to observe the characteristic of the fluid flow in the
pipe whether it is a laminar, transition, or turbulent flow. To know the characteristic of each
flows, the first thing that we have done together was measuring the Reynolds number and the
behaviour of the flow. Then, we have calculated the range for laminar and turbulent flow and
prove the Reynolds number which is dimensionless by using the Reynolds number formula.

In this experiment, the constant variable is the time taken which is ten second. Based on our
data that we have obtained, we took three readings for volume of the fluid. Then, we
measured the range of the volume of the fluid which is 30.3 ml. The first ten second, we got
the flowrate of the flow is 3.03x10-6 m3/s. Apart from this, we have calculated the Reynolds
number of the flow which is 278.70. From what we got, we realised that this value is laminar
flow since the value is less than 2100.

For the next ten second, the same method as the first one. We got the range of the volume of
fluid which is 300.0 ml and the flowrate of the flow is 3x10-5 m3/s. Then, we proceed with the
calculating of the Reynolds number which is 2753.10. We realised that this value is a
transition flow since the value is between 2100-4000 from the theoretical value. For the last
ten second, we got the range of the volume of the fluid which is 680.0 ml and the flowrate of
the flow is 6.87x10-5 m3/s. Apart from this, we have calculated the Reynolds number of the
flow which is 6304.85. Obviously, this value indicates the turbulent flow since the reading is
more than 4000.

Lastly, we observed that the blue dye line change with increasing of water flow rate. The
shape changed from thin threads to slightly swirling which still contains smooth thin threads
and then fully swirling. We can conclude that this change is from laminar flow to transition
flow and then to turbulent flow.