Fundamentals of micro fluidics for high school students with no prior knowledge of fluid mechanics

Abstract

Three micro fluidics-based laboratory exercises were developed and implemented in a high school science classroom setting. The fi rst exercise demonstrated ways in which flows are characterized, including viscosity, turbulence, shear stress, reversibility, compressibility, and hydrodynamic resistance. Students characterized flows in poly(dimethylsiloxane) micro fluidic devices in the other two exercises, where they observed the mixing characteristics of laminar flows, and conservation of volumetric flow rate for incompressible flows. In surveys, the students self-reported increased knowledge of micro fluidics, and an improved attitude toward science and nanotechnology. © Springer Science+Business Media, LLC 2013.