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We present a simple and inexpensive experiment to study the drainage of a cylindrical vessel. The experiment consists of a transparent cylinder and a webcam or a digital camera connected to a computer. The model proposed to explain the results makes use of Bernoulli’s equation for real flows including energy losses. The experimental results are well explained by the model, which is a generalization of Torricelli’s expression.

We present the results of an experimental study of the implications of the Neumann and Dirichlet boundary conditions on the solution of two-dimensional electrostatic problems. The experimental setup is simple and low cost. The experimental results are compared with theoretical expectations using a spreadsheet program to solve Laplace’s equation with the appropriate boundary conditions. Excellent agreement is found between the experimental results and the calculations. The simplicity of the experiment and of the theoretical interpretation makes this experiment accessible to beginning students.