https://wiki.cs.earlham.edu/index.php?action=history&feed=atom&title=Cs382%2FFlow_Rate_ExperimentCs382/Flow Rate Experiment - Revision history2026-07-18T02:59:32ZRevision history for this page on the wikiMediaWiki 1.44.2https://wiki.cs.earlham.edu/index.php?title=Cs382/Flow_Rate_Experiment&diff=5862&oldid=prevBrad: Creation of page2007-11-05T02:53:24Z<p>Creation of page</p>
<p><b>New page</b></p><div>This is a detailed description of one experiment listed on the CS382 [[Cs382|course page]]<br />
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== Goal ==<br />
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The goal of this experiment is to observe the flow rate of a dye plume in the groundwater simulator and note the plume's properties as it the dye travels through sand or gravel. The data gathered here will be used to verify a computer simulation of groundwater contamination.<br />
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== Equipment ==<br />
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* enVision sand and gravel groundwater simulator<br />
* water soluble dye<br />
* pipette<br />
* water<br />
* ruler<br />
* kitchen timer or some other time measurement device<br />
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== Procedure ==<br />
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# Fill the groundwater simulator with fresh water This yields the greatest contrast between the dye plume and surrounding clean water.<br />
# Open the ocean valve and close the river valve.<br />
# Make the pump's output approximately halfway between its maximum and minimum.<br />
# Allow time for the water table to stabilize.<br />
# Fill the pipette at least halfway full with dye.<br />
# Insert the pipette completely into well number 1 (confined artesian aquifer)<br />
# Inject enough dye into the well to create a quarter sized plume.<br />
# Keep the pipette's bulb depressed until after it is removed from the well to avoid creating a vacuum and sucking dye from the plume back into the well. A little of this may occur as the water level in the well rises to fill the space formerly occupied by the pipette's barrel.<br />
# Measure the distance from the bottom of the well and the plume's leftmost edge and start the timer in the horizontal plane.<br />
# Continue to measure the plume's leading edge at regular intervals until the plume has reached well number 8.<br />
# Repeat this experiment using well number 2.<br />
# Graph your results.<br />
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== Results ==<br />
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* Determine the velocity of the plume's leading edge.<br />
** <math>d(t)</math> = distance between source well and leading edge of plume at time interval <math>t</math><br />
** velocity = <math>(d(t2)-d(t1))/(t2-t1)</math><br />
** Does the plume's velocity change over time?<br />
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* Is there a direct correlation between the flow rate and the plume velocity?<br />
** How did your two runs differ? What might account for this?<br />
** Why might the flow rate differ in different parts of the simulator?<br />
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== Considerations for a Computer Based Simulation ==<br />
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* If the flow rate is not constant within runs, how might we account for this in the simulation?</div>Brad