flow rate science experiment

Flow Rate Experiment

Introduction: Flow Rate Experiment

As we all know, fluids have the ability to flow because the particles of liquids and gases are free to move around. However not all fluids flow at the same rate. Some flow a lot faster or slower depending on various factors such as the type of fluid (viscosity), the force pushing on a fluid, surface over it is flowing, etc. A fluid's flow rate is the volume of fluid moving past a certain point in a given amount of time. My partner and I were curious if the location of obstacles in a fluids path would affect the flow rate. So, we tested it out by doing a classic science experiment!

The last step links to a slide show of the entire process including videos of the experiment and fluids flowing!

Liquids : Vegetable Oil, Liquid Hand Soap, Maple Syrup

Graduated Cylinders (1)

Interchangeable boards with obstacles → 3

Stop watches → Phones

Devices → Phones, Laptop

Obstacle Ramps → Side to side, Middle, Zig Zag (these are what we named them)

Packing tape

Google sheets (instead of paper)

Step 1: QUESTION

Our Question: Does the location of obstacles affect a fluid's flow rate?

We were curious about this, so we decided on the fluids we will use and what different obstacle locations we will test.

Step 2: HYPOTHESIS

Our Hypothesis is the image above and it did get more detailed than this however there will be a link to read those later on!

Step 3: PROCEDURE

PROCEDURE FOR TESTING THE HYPOTHESIS: 3 DIFFERENT RAMPS

Set up recording device to a specific spot

Pour the liquid into the graduated cylinder (20 ML)

Set up first ramp with obstacle number 1

Plug bottom of funnel with a plugger

Pour 1st liquid into funnel

Work to get most of the liquid out of the graduated cylinder

Take note of any qualitative observations (descriptive language) (This can also be done after looking at the video recording of the experiment)

After a 5 sec countdown release the fluid by unplugging the funnel

Begin stopwatch at the same time as release of fluid

Use the marking on the ramp to record two different distances: 12 cm and 24 cm

Make observations while experimenting or use the video recording

Record the quantitative and qualitative data → MORE IMPORTANTLY QUANTITATIVE WHILE THE EXPERIMENT IS GOING

Clean the ramp with a wet paper towel

Let the obstacle dry in the sun

Repeat this process x 2 with the other two obstacles but same liquid

THEN: Start from the beginning and complete with the next two liquids

Step 4: CONDUCT THE EXPERIMENT

After a lot of planning and revising we conducted our experiment and the next step will show our results!

Step 5: HERE ARE OUR RESULTS

This slide show will take you through our journey of planning from our hypothesis to testing along with the fascinating resulting we concluded! There are tons of images and videos of the actual experiment itself, mistakes we made and how to avoid them and speaker notes explaining the slides. In the end we treated ourselves after a lot of hard work! Enjoy this wonderful science experiment and see where our curiosity for science took us!

This experiment was truly a lot of fun and the reason why science is so interesting. After testing we can say that the flow rate of a fluid is affected by the location of the obstacles.

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Viscosity Races – investigating the flow of liquids

April 23, 2012 By Emma Vanstone 14 Comments

It is so annoying when getting to the end of a ketchup bottle, and you have to keep banging to get that last bit out. Why is this? Because ketchup is thick and does not flow as easily as other fluids. We call this resistance to flowing viscosity .

The rate at which different fluids flow can vary considerably.

So how about having races to test them?

What you will need:

Stopwatch/tape measure

A ramp – we used a table that we took two legs off.

Different fluids to test  

We used whole milk, ketchup, chocolate sauce, orange juice and cooking oil

Deciding what to measure

• you could decide to time how long it takes for all five fluid to reach the bottom of the table
• you could decide to measure how far they have travelled after a certain time

How to make the test fair

You need to consider the things that could impact on it not being a fair test – this could include things like

• ensuring the volume use use is the same for all fluids
• ensuring that you time the flow for the same distance
• ensuring that measure after a set time for each.
• ensuring you repeat the investigation 3 times and take a mean result
• The gradient of the ramp is the same for each fluid

You can either do one at a time – this is easier for recording time, or tip them all at the same time if you want them to get to the bottom of the table.

Let them flow for the set time you have decided, or time them until they all reach the bottom.

You can record your results in a table.

Results 

We decided to wait until they got to the bottom but had to stop the experiment as it was clear the ketchup was never going to make it! Next time we will try with measuring the distance travelled!

Last Updated on March 9, 2023 by Emma Vanstone

Safety Notice

Science Sparks ( Wild Sparks Enterprises Ltd ) are not liable for the actions of activity of any person who uses the information in this resource or in any of the suggested further resources. Science Sparks assume no liability with regard to injuries or damage to property that may occur as a result of using the information and carrying out the practical activities contained in this resource or in any of the suggested further resources.

These activities are designed to be carried out by children working with a parent, guardian or other appropriate adult. The adult involved is fully responsible for ensuring that the activities are carried out safely.

Reader Interactions

April 23, 2012 at 8:44 am

Thanks for inspiring me. I just love your blog.

April 23, 2012 at 10:30 am

I help to run an after school science club for KS2 children – this looks like a great mixture of messiness and investigation for some of our younger ones. Brilliant! Thank you!

April 23, 2012 at 5:10 pm

What a very fun experiment! Races are always fun.:)

April 24, 2012 at 9:29 am

This looks fun 🙂 Thanks for joining us at Creative Mondays 🙂

April 24, 2012 at 10:23 am

I never knew it was called that. I love how you have introduced fair testing too.

April 25, 2012 at 4:47 pm

This is such a great idea! My kids would love doing this!!! Thanks!

April 25, 2012 at 10:27 pm

What a fun idea. We’ll be saving this one for our kindergarten year. Nicely done!

April 26, 2012 at 8:07 pm

I love, LOVE the title of this post! Viscosity races – awesome. And the prediction making and conclusion making possibilities…this is great science learning and fun.

May 01, 2012 at 9:17 pm

Oooh what fun fun fun! Science really is brilliant and you guys have so many great ideas each week!

Thank you for sharing on Kids Get Crafty!

Maggy & Alissa

October 10, 2012 at 10:49 am

ohhhh how much i love science l just love it that much soo does joshua stanley from cathedral academy 🙂 <3

January 17, 2013 at 7:35 am

Neat! I think my 3-year-old would like this a lot…races and condiments all in the same science activity.

February 24, 2016 at 2:19 pm

i like peanut butter

February 13, 2017 at 11:07 pm

Good day I would like to ask if there is a specific measurements like the measure of height and length of the ramp. btw thank you for the information.

February 19, 2022 at 6:17 pm

My students will LOVE this! Thank you!

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12.1 Flow Rate and Its Relation to Velocity

Learning objectives.

By the end of this section, you will be able to:

• Calculate flow rate.
• Define units of volume.
• Describe incompressible fluids.
• Explain the consequences of the equation of continuity.

Flow rate Q Q is defined to be the volume of fluid passing by some location through an area during a period of time, as seen in Figure 12.2 . In symbols, this can be written as

where V V is the volume and t t is the elapsed time.

The SI unit for flow rate is m 3 /s m 3 /s , but a number of other units for Q Q are in common use. For example, the heart of a resting adult pumps blood at a rate of 5.00 liters per minute (L/min). Note that a liter (L) is 1/1000 of a cubic meter or 1000 cubic centimeters ( 10 − 3 m 3 10 − 3 m 3 or 10 3 cm 3 10 3 cm 3 ). In this text we shall use whatever metric units are most convenient for a given situation.

Example 12.1

Calculating volume from flow rate: the heart pumps a lot of blood in a lifetime.

How many cubic meters of blood does the heart pump in a 75-year lifetime, assuming the average flow rate is 5.00 L/min?

Time and flow rate Q Q are given, and so the volume V V can be calculated from the definition of flow rate.

Solving Q = V / t Q = V / t for volume gives

Substituting known values yields

This amount is about 200,000 tons of blood. For comparison, this value is equivalent to about 200 times the volume of water contained in a 6-lane 50-m lap pool.

Flow rate and velocity are related, but quite different, physical quantities. To make the distinction clear, think about the flow rate of a river. The greater the velocity of the water, the greater the flow rate of the river. But flow rate also depends on the size of the river. A rapid mountain stream carries far less water than the Amazon River in Brazil, for example. The precise relationship between flow rate Q Q and velocity v ¯ v ¯ is

where A A is the cross-sectional area and v ¯ v ¯ is the average velocity. This equation seems logical enough. The relationship tells us that flow rate is directly proportional to both the magnitude of the average velocity (hereafter referred to as the speed) and the size of a river, pipe, or other conduit. The larger the conduit, the greater its cross-sectional area. Figure 12.2 illustrates how this relationship is obtained. The shaded cylinder has a volume

which flows past the point P P in a time t t . Dividing both sides of this relationship by t t gives

We note that Q = V / t Q = V / t and the average speed is v ¯ = d / t v ¯ = d / t . Thus the equation becomes Q = A v ¯ Q = A v ¯ .

Figure 12.3 shows an incompressible fluid flowing along a pipe of decreasing radius. Because the fluid is incompressible, the same amount of fluid must flow past any point in the tube in a given time to ensure continuity of flow. In this case, because the cross-sectional area of the pipe decreases, the velocity must necessarily increase. This logic can be extended to say that the flow rate must be the same at all points along the pipe. In particular, for points 1 and 2,

This is called the equation of continuity and is valid for any incompressible fluid. The consequences of the equation of continuity can be observed when water flows from a hose into a narrow spray nozzle: it emerges with a large speed—that is the purpose of the nozzle. Conversely, when a river empties into one end of a reservoir, the water slows considerably, perhaps picking up speed again when it leaves the other end of the reservoir. In other words, speed increases when cross-sectional area decreases, and speed decreases when cross-sectional area increases.

Since liquids are essentially incompressible, the equation of continuity is valid for all liquids. However, gases are compressible, and so the equation must be applied with caution to gases if they are subjected to compression or expansion.

Example 12.2

Calculating fluid speed: speed increases when a tube narrows.

A nozzle with a radius of 0.250 cm is attached to a garden hose with a radius of 0.900 cm. The flow rate through hose and nozzle is 0.500 L/s. Calculate the speed of the water (a) in the hose and (b) in the nozzle.

We can use the relationship between flow rate and speed to find both velocities. We will use the subscript 1 for the hose and 2 for the nozzle.

Solution for (a)

First, we solve Q = A v ¯ Q = A v ¯ for v 1 v 1 and note that the cross-sectional area is A = πr 2 A = πr 2 , yielding

Substituting known values and making appropriate unit conversions yields

Solution for (b)

We could repeat this calculation to find the speed in the nozzle v ¯ 2 v ¯ 2 , but we will use the equation of continuity to give a somewhat different insight. Using the equation which states

solving for v ¯ 2 v ¯ 2 and substituting πr 2 πr 2 for the cross-sectional area yields

Substituting known values,

A speed of 1.96 m/s is about right for water emerging from a nozzleless hose. The nozzle produces a considerably faster stream merely by constricting the flow to a narrower tube.

The solution to the last part of the example shows that speed is inversely proportional to the square of the radius of the tube, making for large effects when radius varies. We can blow out a candle at quite a distance, for example, by pursing our lips, whereas blowing on a candle with our mouth wide open is quite ineffective.

In many situations, including in the cardiovascular system, branching of the flow occurs. The blood is pumped from the heart into arteries that subdivide into smaller arteries (arterioles) which branch into very fine vessels called capillaries. In this situation, continuity of flow is maintained but it is the sum of the flow rates in each of the branches in any portion along the tube that is maintained. The equation of continuity in a more general form becomes

where n 1 n 1 and n 2 n 2 are the number of branches in each of the sections along the tube.

Example 12.3

Calculating flow speed and vessel diameter: branching in the cardiovascular system.

The aorta is the principal blood vessel through which blood leaves the heart in order to circulate around the body. (a) Calculate the average speed of the blood in the aorta if the flow rate is 5.0 L/min. The aorta has a radius of 10 mm. (b) Blood also flows through smaller blood vessels known as capillaries. When the rate of blood flow in the aorta is 5.0 L/min, the speed of blood in the capillaries is about 0.33 mm/s. Given that the average diameter of a capillary is 8.0 μ m 8.0 μ m , calculate the number of capillaries in the blood circulatory system.

We can use Q = A v ¯ Q = A v ¯ to calculate the speed of flow in the aorta and then use the general form of the equation of continuity to calculate the number of capillaries as all of the other variables are known.

The flow rate is given by Q = A v ¯ Q = A v ¯ or v ¯ = Q πr 2 v ¯ = Q πr 2 for a cylindrical vessel.

Substituting the known values (converted to units of meters and seconds) gives

Using n 1 A 1 v ¯ 1 = n 2 A 2 v ¯ 1 n 1 A 1 v ¯ 1 = n 2 A 2 v ¯ 1 , assigning the subscript 1 to the aorta and 2 to the capillaries, and solving for n 2 n 2 (the number of capillaries) gives n 2 = n 1 A 1 v ¯ 1 A 2 v ¯ 2 n 2 = n 1 A 1 v ¯ 1 A 2 v ¯ 2 . Converting all quantities to units of meters and seconds and substituting into the equation above gives

Note that the speed of flow in the capillaries is considerably reduced relative to the speed in the aorta due to the significant increase in the total cross-sectional area at the capillaries. This low speed is to allow sufficient time for effective exchange to occur although it is equally important for the flow not to become stationary in order to avoid the possibility of clotting. Does this large number of capillaries in the body seem reasonable? In active muscle, one finds about 200 capillaries per mm 3 mm 3 , or about 200 × 10 6 200 × 10 6 per 1 kg of muscle. For 20 kg of muscle, this amounts to about 4 × 10 9 4 × 10 9 capillaries.

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Science project, non-newtonian flow.

Grade Level: 6th - 8th; Type: Physics

A non-Newtonian fluid contains elements of both a liquid and a solid. This science project allows you to explore a simple non-Newtonian fluid.

Research Question:

What is a Non-Newtonian fluid? How does it work?

If you need to cross a river of quicksand, what should you do? Run right across it, of course. If you run over a river of quicksand, it will act like a solid. If you slowly step into it, it will act like a liquid. Try out this science project to save yourself next time you find yourself sinking.

• Water, oil, or applesauce
• 1 ½ cups of cornstarch
• 1 ¼ cups of water

Experimental Procedure:

• Fill a bowl with water, oil, or applesauce, all of which are considered liquid for the purposes of this experiment.
• Press two fingers into the substance. Then punch the substance with your fist. What happens?
• Press two fingers onto a solid surface, such as a tabletop. Punch the solid surface. What happens?
• Discard the substance in the bowl, and rinse out the bowl.
• Add about 1 ½ cups of cornstarch and 1 ¼ cups of water to the bowl.
• Mix the cornstarch and water together until the mixture is difficult to stir, but not too dry. If necessary, add a bit more cornstarch or water until you reach the desired consistency.
• Sprinkle sand over the surface of the mixture.
• Press two fingers into the mixture and observe what happens.
• Punch the mixture with your fist. What happens?
• Fill out a table, such as the one below, describing which aspects of the mixture are similar to a liquid, and which aspects are similar to a solid.


 Terms/Concepts: Non-Newtonian fluid; What are the characteristics of solids and liquids?

References:

• Experiments You Can Do in Your Backyard, edited by Joanna Callihan and Nathan Hemmelgarn. Pp 54-55.

Related learning resources

Add to collection, create new collection, new collection, new collection>, sign up to start collecting.

Bookmark this to easily find it later. Then send your curated collection to your children, or put together your own custom lesson plan.

FREE K-12 standards-aligned STEM

curriculum for educators everywhere!

Find more at TeachEngineering.org .

• TeachEngineering
• Viscosity: The Flow of Milk

Hands-on Activity Viscosity: The Flow of Milk

Grade Level: 7 (6-8)

Time Required: 45 minutes

Expendable Cost/Group: US $2.00

Group Size: 3

Activity Dependency: None

Subject Areas: Biology, Chemistry

TE Newsletter

Engineering connection, learning objectives, materials list, worksheets and attachments, more curriculum like this, pre-req knowledge, introduction/motivation, vocabulary/definitions, user comments & tips.

Engineers commonly design equipment or devices that requires them to take into consideration the viscosity of particular fluids. Chemical engineers design chemicals of very different viscosities(ranging from rubber to petroleum to alcohols and aqueous solutions) and all their processes and reactions must take into account the flow rate of these substances. In the design of artificial heart valves and vascular stents, biomedical engineers must have an intimate knowledge of the flow rate and properties of blood when it flows through arteries and veins in order to design devices that function correctly. Mechanical engineers who design combustion engines consider the liquid flow rate of oils, petroleums and fuels under different conditions. Understanding the relationship between viscosity and flow rate are essential in any engineering process involving liquids!

After this activity, students should be able to:

• Explain the reasoning behind the varying flow rates of milks with various fat content.
• Describe the relationship between viscosity and flow rate, and extrapolate information from it.
• Explain the importance of viscosity consideration in scientific use and engineering applications.
• Collect and analyze data from an experimental set-up.
• Identify dependent and independent variables in an experiment.

Educational Standards Each TeachEngineering lesson or activity is correlated to one or more K-12 science, technology, engineering or math (STEM) educational standards. All 100,000+ K-12 STEM standards covered in TeachEngineering are collected, maintained and packaged by the Achievement Standards Network (ASN) , a project of D2L (www.achievementstandards.org). In the ASN, standards are hierarchically structured: first by source; e.g. , by state; within source by type; e.g. , science or mathematics; within type by subtype, then by grade, etc .

Ngss: next generation science standards - science.

View aligned curriculum

Do you agree with this alignment? Thanks for your feedback!

Common Core State Standards - Math

International technology and engineering educators association - technology, state standards, new york - math.

Each group needs:

• 1 2-ml column
• 5 test tubes
• 5 prepared samples of milk in beakers
• skim milk (non-fat)
• 1% milk (low-fat)
• 2% milk (reduced-fat)
• heavy cream
• whole milk (control sample)
• 1 funnel or pipette
• 1 beaker/bowl (to collect the liquid)
• markers or colored pencils
• Milk Race: Investigating Viscosity Worksheet , one per student

Know how to collect data and make scientific graphs from data, how fluids act and that their functionalities may vary based on their chemical/ physical nature.

Have you ever really looked at all the items at your home? You probably have 100s of different fluids. Which ones come to mind? (Listen to student ideas.) Think of water, shampoo, mouthwash, sodas, milk, chicken broth, orange juice, ketchup, oils, lotion, vinegar, anti-freeze, window cleaner, and the list goes on.

What do all these different solutions have in common and why we are talking about them? Well, all these solutions may exist as either a homogenous (uniform solution) or heterogeneous (assorted mixture solution) and they all have a flow associated with them. Not all fluids flow at the same rate; some may come out of a container very quickly, while others may take some time to empty out. Many different factors can govern how fast a fluid flows including the chemical properties of the solution such as the types of chemical bonds that the solution is comprised of, the homogeneity/ heterogeneity and thickness of the solution. Can anyone think of a fluid that flows very quickly? (Possible answers: Water, soda, juice.) Can anyone think of a fluid that flows very slowly? (Possible answers: Honey, cream, oil.)

Let's think about milk. What kind of milk do you drink? (Possible answers: Whole, skim, 1%, 2%, fat-free, soy, almond, heavy cream.) Have you ever noticed that some types of milk are thicker than others? Do you think that contributes to how fast it flows out of a container?

Today, we're going to do an experiment that takes a look at how fast different types of milk flow. Before we start, you're going to make a hypothesis on which type of milk will flow the fastest and which type of milk will flow the slowest. Once you have those predictions in your notebook, we can start the milk race!

The chemistry of fluids and solutions is an important and sometimes difficult concept for students to grasp because solutions have properties that are usually not tangible or visible. It helps students to fully understand fluids and fluid dynamics if they can experiment and make a mess with solutions. One can easily pour a solution on a table and see how fast it flows just by how fast it moves across the table.The movement of the solution across a table can vary depending on the nature of the solution and the environment surrounding the solution. Today, scientists and engineers characterize the properties of liquid solutions via viscometer, rheometer and even contact angle measurements. Therefore, it is advantageous to teach young scientists and engineers about liquids because they are all around us and students may someday have a job in which they need to characterize fluids.

• Divide the class into groups of two to four students. Collect test tubes of milk samples consisting of one known/control sample (whole milk) and four unknown samples (skim milk, 1% milk, 2% milk, and heavy cream).
• Using a funnel or pipette, pour the first sample (whole milk) through the capped column.
• When ready, un-cap the column, start the timer, and count the number of drops that drip out of the column during a one-minute period.
• Repeat step 3 three times to obtain an average # of drops per minute (flow rate).
• Repeat steps 2-4 for the unknown samples.
• Using your graph, order the test tubes from highest flow rate to lowest flow rate.

contact angle: The angle at which a liquid/gas meets a solid surface.

flow: The distance traveled by a fluid through a confined space per unit of time.

fluid: A substance that has no fixed shape and yields to external pressure. For example, a liquid.

heterogeneous: When a sample is made of many different materials that are not uniform in solution.

homogenous: When a sample is uniform in composition.

rheometer: An instrument for measuring the rheological, or deformation and flow of matter, properties of a substance.

solute: The small amount of chemical or solution that is being dissolved in the large amount of solution.

solution: A chemical mixture comprised of a solute and solvent.

solvent: The large amount of solution that is dissolving the solute.

viscometer: An instrument for measuring viscosity of liquids.

viscosity: A fluid's internal resistance to shear in a defined environment.

Pre-Activity Assessment

Comprehension Questions: Ask the students:

• What is viscosity? (Answer: Viscosity is a fluid's internal resistance to shear in a defined environment.)
• How might the differences in viscosity affect how fast a liquid flows out of a container? (Answer: The higher the viscosity, the slower the liquid flows out of a container. The lower the viscosity, the faster the liquid flows out of a container.)
• What are the components of milk and cream? What types of molecules are found in these liquids? (Answer: The components of milk and cream include a variety of proteins, lipid molecules, water, dissolved carbohydrates, vitamins and inorganic minerals. Three main types of biomolecules are found in milk: carbohydrates, proteins and lipids.)
• What does the percentage of fat content in milk and cream refer to? What does it tell us about the chemistry of the solution? (Answer: The percentage of fat content in milk and cream refers to the proportion of milk [or cream] by weight that is made up of butterfat. Cream usually has fat concentrations in the range of 25–40%, while milk is 0–4% milkfat. The fat content indicates differences in the chemical properties of the solution, such as the viscosity. In general, as we have seen in this activity, the higher the fat content, the higher the viscosity.)

Activity Embedded Assessment

Activity Engagement: Walk around the room to make sure groups order the test tubes in accordance with their calculated flow rates. Make sure that measurements for each sample are performed three times, in order to obtain a better statistical average.

Post-Activity Assessment

Activity Reflection: Ask students the following questions> Answers are provided in the Milk Race: Investigating Viscosity Worksheet Answer Key .

• What are the dependent and independent variables in this experiment?
• How were you able to identify the unknown liquids?
• Was your hypothesis correct?
• What can you say about the relationship between viscosity and the flow rate of a liquid?
• What do properties like viscosity and flow rate have to do with the chemistry of a particular liquid?
• How do different concentrations of fat in milk/cream affect their viscosity and flow rate through a column?
• When would researchers or engineers want to use liquids of high viscosities? low viscosities?

Home Search: List five examples of liquids you find at home that have high viscosities and five that have low viscosities. Bonus points for items that no other students mention.

tudents are introduced to the similarities and differences in the behaviors of elastic solids and viscous fluids. In addition, fluid material properties such as viscosity are introduced, along with the methods that engineers use to determine those physical properties.

While learning about volcanoes, magma and lava flows, students learn about the properties of liquid movement, coming to understand viscosity and other factors that increase and decrease liquid flow. They also learn about lava composition and its risk to human settlements.

Contributors

Supporting program, acknowledgements.

This activity was developed by the Applying Mechatronics to Promote Science (AMPS) Program funded by National Science Foundation GK-12 grant no. 0741714. However, these contents do not necessarily represent the policies of the NSF, and you should not assume endorsement by the federal government.

Last modified: February 18, 2021

October 31, 2013

Spilling Science: Can Solid Candies Flow Like Liquids?

A tasty physics project from Science Buddies

By Science Buddies

Key concepts Physics Liquids Solids Size Density

Introduction Have you ever poured sand out of a bucket or cereal out of a box and noticed it seems to flow' a lot like water? This is because both sand and cereal are granular materials. That means they're made up of solid particles, but they can actually flow like liquids! Candies such as Skittles, M&M's, Nerds and many others are also granular materials. In this science activity you'll investigate how the size and shape of granular materials affect how they flow. And what better way to do this investigation than with some sweets! So get ready to put your Halloween candy to some good scientific use.

Background Solid matter (such as sand) that is made up of many individual small particles is called a granular material, and the individual particles are called grains. Granular materials can range in size from small powders such as sugar and flour to large objects such as rocks and boulders. Note that the word "grain" doesn't just refer to things you'd traditionally call grains, such as sand or rice; it can be any object or particle in a granular material.

Investigating adaptive strategies of high and low nucleic acid prokaryotes

by Science China Press

A research team conducted a 73-day large-volume Aquatron macrocosm experiment, utilizing flow cytometry and dilution experiments to thoroughly investigate the temporal changes and influencing factors in the abundance, growth rate, and mortality of high nucleic acid (HNA) and low nucleic acid (LNA) prokaryotes, and the resulting carbon flow dynamics within the microbial loop. They explored the adaptive strategies of these microbial subgroups in response to declining resource availability and selective grazing by protozoa.

The paper is published in the journal Science China Earth Sciences , and the research was led by Dr. Nianzhi Jiao and Dr. Dapeng Xu from the College of Ocean and Earth Sciences at Xiamen University.

Results indicated that during resource-replete conditions, HNA prokaryotes exhibit higher metabolic activity compared to the LNA subgroup. However, as resources become scarce, the abundance of the HNA subgroup declines rapidly, leading to a steady increase in the relative contribution of LNA subgroup to overall prokaryotic activity.

Additionally, the study highlights that selective grazing by protozoa shifts from the HNA to the LNA subgroup as resource availability decreases, with the contributions of the LNA subgroups to the carbon flow within the macrocosm increasing from 9% to 16%.

The findings underscore the critical role of LNA subgroup in maintaining carbon flow and ecosystem stability during periods of low resource availability and illuminate the importance of protozoa's adaptive grazing behavior in maintaining a balance between the HNA and LNA subgroups and ensuring the continuous functioning of the microbial loop. This comprehensive analysis of the interplay between prokaryotic subgroups and protozoa provides insights into the adaptive mechanisms of microbial communities and their implications for marine biogeochemical cycles.

Journal information: Science China Earth Sciences

Provided by Science China Press

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