Bernoulli Instructions
Most recent answer: 10/22/2007
Q:
your cite is very interesting. i was wondering if u could please fill me in on the missing instructions from this experiment? thank you!
Bernoulli Principle
Needed: Electric leaf blower
Light ball (Approx. softball size)
Warnings: None.
What to do: This is a very simple demo to perform. Simply turn on the
leaf blower and hold in an upright position. Place the ball in the
stream of air.
...(omitted text)...
Explain that, as they each travel
through the air, the air that goes over the top must travel faster than
the air that travels under them. Bernoulli discovered that the air that
travels faster has lower pressure. Lower pressure is just like a vacuum.
Just as a vacuum cleaner sucks up dirt, the wing and Frisbee are sucked
upward; thus, causing them to fly. The ball is like th . . . . . . . . .
(omitted more, but a lot was missing)
- Monica (age 17)
Ca
- Monica (age 17)
Ca
A:
Hi! I don’t understand how you got such a garbled view of our page.
When I look at the bernoulli experiment, this is what it says. hope
this helps!
Bernoulli Principle
Needed: Electric leaf blower
Light ball (Approx. softball size)
Warnings: None.
What to do: This is a very simple demo to perform. Simply turn on the leaf blower and hold in an upright position. Place the ball in the stream of air. It should float in the air one to two feet above the blower. If the ball travels too high it will be difficult to keep it suspended, so you may want to use a heavier ball. However, if the ball is too heavy it will not float at all.
What to say: The Bernoulli Principle is a difficult subject to understand; therefore, you may want to use another prop to help in the explanation. A cross section of an airplane wing or a Frisbee may be useful. Show the audience the wing or Frisbee and how it is curved on the top side and flat on the bottom. Explain that, as they each travel through the air, the air that goes over the top must travel faster than the air that travels under them. Bernoulli discovered that the air that travels faster has lower pressure. Lower pressure is just like a vacuum. Just as a vacuum cleaner sucks up dirt, the wing and Frisbee are sucked upward; thus, causing them to fly. The ball is like the curved surface of the Frisbee or the wing. As air travels around the ball,
the ball is pulled equally in all directions causing it to float.
Variations: As stated in the "what to say" section, there are many things that use the Bernoulli principle including airplanes and Frisbees. Also, a smaller version of the Bernoulli principle can be made at home. All you need is a straw, tape, and a ping pong ball or styrofoam ball. Fold one end of the straw and tape it so that no air can escape. Puncture a hole in the straw about one inch from the taped end. The hole should be large enough so that you can blow through the straw without too much trouble. Now, just blow through the straw while holding the ball above the hole. With a little practice, you should be able to float the ball above the straw until you run out of breath.
The Physics: Bernoulli’s equation as applied to a non-viscous, incompressible fluid in steady flow is given by: (P+1/2 pv^2+pgy=c) Where P= pressure, p= density of fluid, v= velocity of fluid, g= acceleration of gravity and y= height of fluid. We can see by the equation that the pressure and the velocity of the fluid are on the same side of the equation; therefore, if the velocity increases, the pressure must decrease to keep the equation true.
Bernoulli Principle
Needed: Electric leaf blower
Light ball (Approx. softball size)
Warnings: None.
What to do: This is a very simple demo to perform. Simply turn on the leaf blower and hold in an upright position. Place the ball in the stream of air. It should float in the air one to two feet above the blower. If the ball travels too high it will be difficult to keep it suspended, so you may want to use a heavier ball. However, if the ball is too heavy it will not float at all.
What to say: The Bernoulli Principle is a difficult subject to understand; therefore, you may want to use another prop to help in the explanation. A cross section of an airplane wing or a Frisbee may be useful. Show the audience the wing or Frisbee and how it is curved on the top side and flat on the bottom. Explain that, as they each travel through the air, the air that goes over the top must travel faster than the air that travels under them. Bernoulli discovered that the air that travels faster has lower pressure. Lower pressure is just like a vacuum. Just as a vacuum cleaner sucks up dirt, the wing and Frisbee are sucked upward; thus, causing them to fly. The ball is like the curved surface of the Frisbee or the wing. As air travels around the ball,
the ball is pulled equally in all directions causing it to float.
Variations: As stated in the "what to say" section, there are many things that use the Bernoulli principle including airplanes and Frisbees. Also, a smaller version of the Bernoulli principle can be made at home. All you need is a straw, tape, and a ping pong ball or styrofoam ball. Fold one end of the straw and tape it so that no air can escape. Puncture a hole in the straw about one inch from the taped end. The hole should be large enough so that you can blow through the straw without too much trouble. Now, just blow through the straw while holding the ball above the hole. With a little practice, you should be able to float the ball above the straw until you run out of breath.
The Physics: Bernoulli’s equation as applied to a non-viscous, incompressible fluid in steady flow is given by: (P+1/2 pv^2+pgy=c) Where P= pressure, p= density of fluid, v= velocity of fluid, g= acceleration of gravity and y= height of fluid. We can see by the equation that the pressure and the velocity of the fluid are on the same side of the equation; therefore, if the velocity increases, the pressure must decrease to keep the equation true.
(published on 10/22/2007)