Vortices Web Page |
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My name is Amanda Johns and this is the web page for my final year project. I am currently studying
Mathematics BSc at the University of Surrey.
These applets work best with Internet Explorer. The idea behind this project is to use interactive experiments with mathematics to explain something at University level to younger students with the use of web pages. The chosen subject is the area of Fluid Dynamics and deals with the motion of vortices. A vortex is a spinning energy wheel. When you take the plug out of a bathtub, you will see that the water creates a vortex as it runs down the drain. In common usage, by vortex we usually mean a whirlpool, or a circular cavity formed by a liquid in rotation. We are constantly surrounded by vortices, such as tornadoes and spiral galaxies; the Milky Way is one example. Click on the images below to go to the web pages. |
| Demonstration of vortices moving in the plane |
| This applet investigates the motion of two vortices in the plane by changing the strength and direction of their rotations |
| Demonstration of vortex leapfrogging |
| This applet looks at the motion of two pairs of vortices in leapfrogging formation. Drop-down menus let you change the starting positions of the vortices. |
| Demonstration of changing the ratio for leapfrogging |
| This applet investigates what happens when you change the ratio between the two pairs of vortices. |
| The stability of vortices in a circle |
| This involves looking at a number of vortices placed on the edge of a circle, and changing the number of vortices by using a drop-down menu. All of the vortices rotate in the same direction, and it is possible to see whether the patterns are stable. |