A series of laboratory exercises has been developed to aid in the teaching of thermal and fluid sciences to undergraduate engineers. The exercises use simple hardware and a guided-inquiry approach to expose student misconceptions and to develop deeper understanding of basic concepts. This paper focuses on one of the laboratory exercises, which uses a simple duct with a sudden expansion to demonstrate the error caused by misapplication of the Bernoulli equation. The apparatus and the laboratory exercise are described. Learning gain measurements and results of attitude surveys are presented. The exercise is successful in causing students to confront their misconceptions and lack of understanding. Student attitudes about the usefulness of the exercise correlate with their grade in the course. The A students have a less favorable opinion than the B and C students.

He has a BSME degree from Cornell University, and MS and Ph.D. degrees in Mechanical Engineering from the University of Minnesota. His research interests are in fluid mechanics, heat transfer, numerical analysis, and improving undergraduate engineering education.

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Visual demonstrations are important as a supplement to the abstract treatment of transformations. The method described here models transformations that are circular and finite under one set of conditions and become rectangular and infinite when conditions change.