Role of hydrostatic paradoxes towards the formation of the scientific thought of students at academic level

• Published in: European journal of physics 2005-11, Vol.26 (6), p.1017-1030, Article 1017
• Main Authors: Fontana, Fabrizio, Di Capua, Roberto
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: Communication, education, history, and philosophy; Exact sciences and technology; General physics; Physics; Physics literature and publications; Surveys and tutorial papers, resource letters
• ISSN: 0143-0807; 1361-6404
• DOI: 10.1088/0143-0807/26/6/009

The importance of fluid mechanics is often underrated. Besides studying the mechanisms governing static and dynamic fluids, this discipline could have a great role in the understanding of many principles, topics and concepts of general mechanics. When approached in a proper way, fluid mechanics provides numerous 'case studies' apt to clarify the physical content of several mechanical laws. Unfortunately, fluid mechanics, in physics classes, is generally viewed as a 'lower branch' of mechanics. Its rules and laws too often are regarded as too particular, or even as special cases, to deserve the same attention paid to other arguments. The help that fluid mechanics could return in the learning process can be proved by some easy considerations. In this frame, the so-called hydrostatic paradoxes could provide a tremendous contribution to the learning processes.