Feynman sprinkler problem
E1165
The Feynman sprinkler problem is a famous physics thought experiment that examines how a submerged, water-aspirating sprinkler would move, highlighting subtleties in fluid dynamics and momentum conservation.
Statements (49)
| Predicate | Object |
|---|---|
| instanceOf |
fluid dynamics problem
ⓘ
momentum conservation paradox ⓘ physics thought experiment ⓘ |
| asksQuestion |
Does a water-aspirating sprinkler rotate at all in steady state?
ⓘ
How do ideal-fluid predictions differ from real-fluid behavior? ⓘ How do pressure and momentum flux balance in an aspirating sprinkler? ⓘ In which direction does the sprinkler rotate when it sucks in water? ⓘ What is the role of transient start-up effects in the sprinkler’s motion? ⓘ |
| associatedWithField |
classical mechanics
ⓘ
continuum mechanics ⓘ hydrodynamics ⓘ physics education ⓘ |
| associatedWithInstitution | Los Alamos Laboratory ⓘ |
| associatedWithPerson | Richard Feynman ⓘ |
| hasAspect |
experimental verification challenges
ⓘ
idealized analysis with inviscid, incompressible fluid ⓘ realistic analysis including viscosity and turbulence ⓘ steady-state behavior ⓘ transient start-up motion ⓘ |
| hasMainTopic |
behavior of a submerged sprinkler that sucks in water
ⓘ
difference between ideal and real fluid behavior ⓘ direction of motion of a water-aspirating sprinkler ⓘ energy dissipation in real fluids ⓘ impulse delivered by fluid jets ⓘ interpretation of Newton’s third law in fluid systems ⓘ misleading naive momentum arguments ⓘ momentum conservation in fluids ⓘ pressure forces in incompressible fluids ⓘ role of viscosity in fluid motion ⓘ subtleties of fluid dynamics ⓘ transient versus steady-state flow ⓘ |
| involvesObject |
fluid reservoir
ⓘ
inflowing water jet ⓘ pivoted sprinkler head ⓘ sprinkler with curved arms ⓘ submerged rotary lawn sprinkler ⓘ |
| knownFor |
being difficult to analyze quantitatively
ⓘ
demonstrating difference between intuition and rigorous analysis ⓘ generating debate among physicists ⓘ highlighting importance of boundary conditions in fluid flow ⓘ illustrating pitfalls of oversimplified momentum arguments ⓘ |
| relatedConcept |
Bernoulli’s principle
ⓘ
Navier–Stokes equations ⓘ impulse-momentum theorem ⓘ momentum flux in fluid jets ⓘ paradoxes in classical physics ⓘ rocket propulsion by reaction forces ⓘ |
| usedIn |
popular science discussions of Feynman’s work
ⓘ
undergraduate physics teaching ⓘ |
Referenced by (1)
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