(212a) Seeing Is Believing - Learning Fundamentals of Chemical Engineering

Chemical Engineering has become a very pivotal discipline which enjoys commonality with all cutting edge sciences and chemical engineers are the most versatile species who are adept of converting themselves into chemists, physicists, material scientists, biologists, biotechnologists, mathematicians, environmentalists and all sorts of engineers. This has been possible due to the sound training in basic sciences, maths and systems approach. The importance of experiments in any scientific field can be hardly overemphasized and more the number of experiments invoking different basic principles better it is.

Apart from the regular experiments, it is important to introduce many concepts in chemical engineering through visualization. We have developed a special lab called ?Demonstration Experiments' which was introduced when this author was a doctoral student and Associate Lecturer (demonstrator). Several concepts when visualized become very clear to the doubting students and they appreciate them greatly. Whether internal circulation in drops, Marangoni effect, similarity between bubble flow in solids or liquids, phase transfer catalysis, these experiments are developed with minimum cost. Over the years, we have made this lab a regular feature and every year we add new experiment(s).