Science Fair Help - Water Levels

The answer is yes it only works on the "horizontal plane" because thats the way gravity pulls. the water only seeks equallibrium because of air pressure and gravitational pull.

Hello young scientist (and Dad)

Dad, thanks for teaching your son how to be a good parent when he grows up!

What type of home made level did you see?

I use a home made 'laser' (Ahemmm) water level by using a clear roll of poly tubing 1/2", up to 50 feet long or longer, and you can (providing your foundation is somewhat level) go around and mark all the wall switch heights or electrical outlets heights in minutes instead of 'tape measuring' all of them from the floor up. Tape measure the first one, fill your tubing with colored water (2-3 drops of food color in a gallon) and hold the water level at the bottom of your measured first switch and your partner can walk around the entire floor plan with the other end of the tubing and raise it up / down and where the level settles out will be the same height EXACTLY as where you are holding it in the other room (get the air bubbles out).

Cheers!

Just like a commercial bubble level often has three bubbles set at even with the level, at right angles and at 45^o, your homemade one can do similar things. If the water is not contained (i.e. in an open trough) the angled components can sit on the top.

Greetings,

A water level should be the one all of reach for first. Keep in mind that the water level is an extension of the eartghs gravitational radii. It is no more a flat plane than the surface of the ocean.

There was an article I remember in Sci. Am. some years ago about a
ceramic bowl used by an early South American civilization to set the grade
'drop` angle for irrigation systems.

The water set the bowl at 'level` and a sort of built in peep sight set the
grade angle. A primitive transit!

Everything old is new again.

Yes, water levels are usually used only for horizontal grades (at least directly) but indirectly you could measured up and down from the horizontal line formed by the water level at the two ends of the tube. Your son could show how you could put two pictures on a wall at exactly the same height, or how you could measure the slope of the street in front of your house (one end would be held high relative to the pavement) by measuring up to the water level at two points.

Extending this last idea, as you probably know, a surveyors sextant is usually used to sight a horizontal line from one point to another. You look at the pole , and from it, can see exactly how much lower or higher its base is than the sextant's base (using the scales printed on the pole). Your son could make a topo map of your yard using a water level, if he wanted to be really industrious. That's more than most third graders could do, but you could run it past him and see. A little less ambitious would be to measure the slope of your driveway, using the same technique.

With 20, 30, or 40 feet of clear tubing and some colored water, you can have good time. I've done lots of projects like this with my son and daughter, and it is always time very well spent. As you play around with a few ideas, you'll find what will work best for him.

Another thought, that might be kind of fun... suppose there is a tree, a flagpole , or a tall building, and you want to measure the height. You could take a short pole (1' maybe) and a long one (6' maybe) and set them up so that your son can site across their tops to the top of the object to measure. Get the distance between the posts, and get the distance to the base of the object to be measured. Use the water level to correct the heights of the post tops to horizontal. Using a piece of graph paper, you could plot the points, and scale it... or you could calculate the height using ratios.

Whatever you do, make sure it's your son's project, not yours. You may find that your son can quickly grasp ratios, or you may not. If he does, and its fun, then he will have learned a lot. In any case, just keep the project at a level that he can really own, and explain in his own words. Have fun.

Just curious. What does your son want to do and why can't he do it? After all, it's his education, and his challenge, and his learning experience, and his future--and his third grade mind that's supposed to conjure up a project. Another thing, how would he show your water tube level without needing to be there to demostrate it. Maybe judges will be impressed with tubing tied to a poster board about "water seeks its own level," maybe not. Maybe his idea might make a more interesting presentation?

his idea was to grow earthworms in different matter.after we explored this and having seven weeks to complete it, i explained to him what i thought.and assured him that whatever his topic was i would help.i agree his idea would have been more interesting.i simply think that his idea was to easy for him.i want him to apply himself.as you said his education,his challenges,and most importantly his future.i want him to have the tools to succeed.as for his third grade mind ,well he is above that.he started preschool at a local church when he was three.we have always tried to and requested challenges for him.hes in public school now and last year scored the second highest grades out of about two hundred students.hes extremely smart.i am proud of him and only will i offer him encouragement in whatever he does.as for his operatation of it, well that is no problem.hes already written several books.and continues to excel.and impressing the judges,ha ha ha hes not there to look good hes there to win.in closing let me say this as we live in times of uncertainty,you can only try to prepare yourself for what might happen next.nothing is for sure.i want my son to have the skills,knowledge,in these times.these children in his agegroup are the future leaders of this nation.they need these tools.we wont always be here.that is for certain.i believe that knowledge prevails over wealth.however knowledge can bring wealth.he hunts and fishes with me,i am teaching him how to live in uncertain times,if this nation goes broke again and money is no good.at this tme it wont matter how much money you have.its no good.this knowledge and these skills will keep you alive.wealth to me means living in these times.thanks for your input.

Congratulations on helping your son with his science project. I just recently worked with my 10 yr old grandson teaching him the uses of the 3' - 4' - 5' triangle for laying out an exact 90 deg angle; and determining length or distance and height, using a 45 deg triangle. It occurred to me that with the tubing/water level, the triangles, and a 100 ft tape, you have about all the basic elements for measuring, plotting and lay out of landscaping, building location, grading and all kinds of "civil" work.

Good for you. Like others I'm a fan of keeping clear plastic tubing handy for such things as leveling in the garden. An 'off the top of my head' idea is to fix an elastic membrane to one end of the tube. You would have to calibrate this , since working out how much the elastic expands would not be that simple. You would need the right sort of elastic membrane ( somewhere between one of those long party balloons and , ahem , a 'gentleman's prophylactic' , sorry I'm not sure of your sons age).The elastic force of the membrane would counter the head of water as you elevate the open end of the tube.By marking a wall with known heights you can use a marker to calibrate the open end of the tube.I've never tried this ,and am not entirely sure of the principle , but have fun if you try even if you only end up laughing at my stupid suggestion.Kris