Liquids and Gases: Principles of Fluid Mechanics

by Paul Fleisher

Discusses the scientific principles of fluid mechanics that allow basketballs to bounce and hot-air balloons to rise, demonstrating the behavior of liquids and gases through simple illustrations and experiments.

Genres: Science

55 pages, Library Binding

First published September 1, 2001

Reviews

[Heather Tully · Rating 4 out of 5]

I love how practical & understanding these books are. Experiments/examples are easy to do at home, helping you understand it better. This was my second reading & I made many more connections.

Pre-read of 2022-2023 educational year.

[Lisa · Rating 5 out of 5]

Excellent middle school physics.

[Melissa Grice · Rating 5 out of 5]

Pre-reading for AO Y7.

Science is my weakest subject but i was impressed by how interesting and accessible Fleisher made this subject. In four short chapters, he explains the basic principles that govern liquids and gases, and tells of the scientists who discovered them. He includes very simple experiments to see the principles in action, and explains how common machines/inventions use these principles to function. Illustrations make the experiments unnecessary if you don’t have the supplies on hand.

[Kate · Rating 4 out of 5]

Enjoyed this book. Really liked the explanation of air pressure in relation to how an airplane is able to fly.

[Lindsey · Rating 5 out of 5]

Really great series, with clear explanations and good illustrations of the experiments discussed. 13yo looked forward to reading these.

[Summer · Rating 5 out of 5]

A great review and greater explanation of the laws of liquids and gases: Natural Law, Archimedes' Principle, Pascal's Law, Boyle's and Charles' Law, & Bernoulli's Principle!

[Rosie Gearhart · Rating 4 out of 5]

Clear and interesting writing, even for this science-averse Mama! Easy experiments. Excellent series for middle school kids.

[Jill · Rating 4 out of 5]

Great intro book to liquids and gases. It was short, interesting, and informative. The text made connections between many of the scientists who discovered each law as well as easy experiments to perform at home to demonstrate the laws. Each chapter was devoted to a different principle and scientist.

In the back are short biographies of the scientists as well as a glossary, index and further print or web resources for kids and adults.

I’m handing this one off to my older kids but will read through it with my youngest and do the experiments at each chapter.