Diameter of pipe - Does it affect the flow?

Write down your observations (you can draw table to note your observations)

Was the quantity of water pumped out more when you used the pipe with -

• smaller diameter

• larger diameter

Did your initial guess match with the result of our activity? What does it say about the effect of diameter of pipe on the flow of blood? Write it down in your notebook.

What are the conditions that can make the pipe narrow? Write down your ideas.

For further investigation we can take these two factors

• Narrowing of pipe at specific position using clothespin

• Obstruction in the pipe   

Can you think of way to check the effect of obstruction in the pipe?    

(You can introduce an obstruction in your experimental pipe using chewing gum or dough.)

Write down what changes you made in the initial setup and your observations in notebook.

What is the effect on the flow of water? 

Suppose bottle is pumping same amount of water in 2 pipes - one with large diameter and one with small diameter. As the pipe with smaller diameter gives lesser space for water to flow the pressure in the pipe is more.

In this activity we have seen that flow of water is affected by the diameter of the pipes. Similarly, blood flow in the blood pipes of our body get affected by their diameter. This in turn affects our blood pressure.

Depending on various factors like the above, blood pressure can be low or high. Both low blood pressure and high blood pressure are not good for our health. Often high blood pressure does not show any specific symptoms in a person. Hence it is advised to check it regularly after age of 30. Regular check-ups would be able to detect if the range is not normal. Keeping the blood pressure in normal range is very important to avoid complications like heart attack and stroke.