Poiseuille, Bernoulli, and the Circulatory System

I present a kinesthetic model of the human circulatory system. This model connects the physical principles of Poiseuille’s Law and mass conservation to blood flow throughout the human body. Students grapple with conflicting principles, see the limitations of the Bernoulli principle, and ultimately gain a deeper understanding of the physics behind critical components of anatomy and physiology. Physics teachers collaborate with biology colleagues and learn from them how to create truly authentic biology-based physics curricula. 

 

Building a kinesthetic model of the human circulatory system:

• Overview of the Activity
• Parts list

 

First article presenting this model, from 2015:

• A kinesthetic circulatory system model for teaching fluid dynamics

 

A draft copy of my article that was accepted for publication in the journal The Physics Teacher:

• Teach Poiseuille First

 

Interview with Dr. Jonathan Lindner, Cardiologist and Professor of Medicine at Oregon Health and Science University:

• Interview with Dr. Lindner

 

Access many more resources for teaching introductory physics for the life sciences at the Living Physics Portal:

• Living Physics Portal