2014/10/20 by Joel A. Groman, James G. Miller, Groman, Joel A. +4
Engineering · Physics and Astronomy · #Engineering Education and Pedagogy #Experimental Learning in Engineering #FOS: Physical sciences #Physics Education (physics.ed-ph) #Soft Condensed Matter (cond-mat.soft) #cond-mat.soft #physics.ed-ph
paper · pdf · doi:10.48550/arxiv.1410.5371
10 pp., 5 figs
arxiv created 2014/10/20 · openalex publication_date 2014/10/20 · arxiv updated 2014/10/21 · openalex created_date 2025/10/10 · openalex updated_date 2026/07/28
In everyday life we encounter many complex fluids, from shear-thinning paint and toothpaste to shear-thickening starch suspensions. The study of their properties offers an opportunity for students to relate sophisticated physical concepts to their everyday experience. Modern rheology uses expensive equipment impractical for the teaching laboratory. Here we describe a rudimentary rheometer suitable for student laboratories that can demonstrate and quantify discontinuous shear thickening, the most dramatic property of complex fluids, and use it to measure the properties of starch suspensions.