Introduction

1. Introduction

The experiment consisted of a water container acting as a water source and a pipe that would be connected to 6 straws which would measure the pressure of water. The water would rise out of the pipe to the straw, and the height of the water in each straw represents the amount of excess pressure in water. The experiment results should show that the closest straw to the water would have the highest water level, and the furthest straw would have the shortest water level. After carrying out the experiment, it showed that our hypothesis was correct. However, the experiment was not very accurate as there were air bubbles occupying spaces in the straw.

The results suggest that the straws that are closer to the water source have higher water pressure as compared to the straws further away from the water source. Hence, the set-up is accurate as it is able to show the drop in pressure through the decrease of water level in each straw.

1.1. Background research

A source of life is water, which is a part of our livelihoods and prosperity, an essential element that maintains life, needed for the survival of all living things. Water has been well known for millennia in human survival and ecosystem conservation depending on the reliable availability and adequate water that is good quality. Lack of water, all living things would not exist and not survive.

Water is an integral part of living survival for social and economic purposes. Food production, hygiene and sanitation, health and the environment is affected under the water's influential role. Water is famous for its prehistoric times in food and agricultural production. Water-food interrelationships are significant. Access to safe drinking water and sanitation is critical to human well-being. Many development agencies, communities and experts worldwide are increasingly recognizing the critical role that water can have on poverty reduction. (Ahmed, F. & Chamhuri, Siwar & Begum, Rawshan., 2014)

The situation in Malaysia is that the average annual rainfall they receive is about 3000 mm. In 1998, Malaysia's primary water supply resources were the Ampang intake built-in 1906, the Klang Gates Dam constructed in 1928, and the Semenyih Dam completed in 1984. These Dams are the main water resources of Malaysia. However, the turn of abundance to scarcity of water is caused due to the large population of Malaysia these recent years. Growth in population, development, progress and irrigated agriculture impose rapid growth demands and pressure on the water resources. This contributes to the rise of water pollution. Water management has become more comprehensive and complicated due to large population concentrations. (MALAYSIA’S WATER VISION: THE WAY FORWARD, 2022)

There are 2 different kinds of water distribution systems, the gravity system as well as the pumping system. The following below explains the advantages and disadvantages of each system.

The advantages of the gravity systems are that no energy is required to function the system as water is supplied with the help of gravity, and a pump is not required. But the gravity system is not applicable on plain or flat terrain where there is no available elevation source. Water might be lost if leakage is present and comparatively higher. This system also requires a break-in pressure to reduce the tension in pipelines.

Some advantages of the pumping system are that water can only be pumped when required. This also results in low water loss caused by leakage. Even with that said, there are a few disadvantages, such as system breakdown, which may occur from time to time if power fails. Maintenance of the system is costly as well. Transporting of water through leaks may cause contamination to the water system.

1.2 Specific topics and rationale

In towns, the radial pattern is a preferred way of building compared to linear pattern. Radial patterns are built by town designers with the considerations of the water distribution systems. By trying to stop the flow of water from a hose or pipe with your thumb, or if you have seen a hose or a pipe burst, you know that water pressure is very high. The high pressure ensures that the flow of water is adequate wherever and whenever it is needed (America Geosciences Institute, 2016). The density of towns would be higher if designed in radial patterns, allowing greater pressure of water to cater to more people living in the towns. On the other hand, using linear patterns would mean a lesser density of towns, with a need for even greater pressure to cater to everyone in the town. Hence, this would result in citizens having to go out of their way to collect water from a water source instead of water being transported directly to their houses.

1.3 Past research

There are many past kinds of research that have experimented on the same concept as our investigation. However, the experiment we would like to compare is the water pressure experiment from The Naked Scientist. The experiment shows that water is fluid; it is squishy, which means that if you squash it in one direction, it will push out in all directions. When you squish water in one order, it squirts out the sides. The pressure (force per square metre) pushed out is the same as the pressure compressed by (The Naked Scientist, 2022).

However, their experiment compared to ours is less accurate because they are using a water bottle with holes. The water that is flowing out is not calculated, hence they are not able to calculate the drop in pressure of the water.

1.4 Concluding the introduction

Overall, through our experiment, we have gained more knowledge on how the water distribution systems work, and a closer look at the drop of pressure as the distance increases. From our research, we also found out more about the process of designing the towns in order for water to be transported to all the households at an adequate pressure level.

1.5 Research questions

How does the height of the “water tower” play a part in transporting water through the pipe without the help of technology?

1.6 Hypothesis

As the water flows from the container, the gravitational potential energy decreases from the height of the container to the height of the pipe, kinetic energy increases. Pushing the water with a higher pressure by gravity to transport water along the pipe.

1.6.1 Independent variables

The independent variable is the distance from point A to point B of the respective straws.

1.6.2 Dependent variables

The dependent variable is the pressure of the water.

1.6.3 Constants

a) The same water level in the container

b) The height from the countertop to the container of water

c) The length between the container and the end of the pipe has to remain the same