Does smoke rise or goes down?

To make our experiment we need a bottle of plastic of 1´5 litres, a sheet of paper and a few matches.

First we make a couple of holes in the bottle of plastic, one in the top part and another one near the base of the bottle.

Them we take the sheet paper and cut away a rectangle of 10x15 cm (10 times fifteen). We coil the paper to obtain a small cylinder of approximately 15 cm of length. Finally the small tube of paper interferes for the top hole of the bottle.

On having ignited the small tube of paper with a match a small flame is formed and is observed that for another end of the bead goes out a column of very dense smoke that falls down inside the bottle. In the exterior scarcely there is smoke.

If we cover the low hole with a finger, the small tube of paper goes out and smoke doesn’t go out.

Explanation:

On having burned the small tube it departs from the paper it is clear in the shape of particles that, together with the gases that formed in the combustion and the air they form the smoke.

In normal circumstances, the smoke ascends dragged by the warm air of the combustion.

In our experiment, the smoke that takes place is produced in the interior part of the small tube travels along it. Inside the bottle, there is no warm air, so that, when the smoke goes out for the low end of the small tube there aren’t produced rising currents of convection and the smoke, denser that the air, it rushes to the bottom of the bottle.

by Clara, Beatriz and Inés

A bottle with a hole

In order to make our experiment, we only need a bottle of water with it’s cap.

We make a small hole in a plastic bottle, about a half of its height, and we fill it full of water, while we are covering the hole.

If we remove our finger from the hole, no water comes out, but if we remove the cap of the bottle, the water starts to come out. But why?

If the cap is put, the internal pressure on the hole is equal to the external pressure and that’s why the water doesn’t come out of the hole.

But, if we remove the cap, we allow that the air comes into the top of the bottles, breaking the previous balance. The internal pressure on the hole is greater than the external pressure, so the water comes out of the bottle.

by Irene and Rafael

An eddy in a bottle

To make our experiment we need two plastic bottles of one and a half litres.

First, drill a hole in the two bottles corks.
Then, fill one of the bottles with water to about three quarters and join the two plugs per cylinder.
To unite the two bottles it can be used a tape.

It is very important the union between the bottles.

When the water on the bottles is empty is upper, it seems that the water does not fall easily to the bottle bottom, but if we give a circular motion to the bottle top and creates a swirling, water falls easily.

By placing the bottles on top, water doesn’t fall to the bottom because of the compressed air trapped in the bottle which is down. It can pass through it, as there is no room for it.

When the eddy is generated by moving the top bottle, it is communicated the air in both bottles and the water in the top bottle falls easily into the bottom bottle.

by Yulia

Drawing with sand

To make our experiment we needs a plastic bottle, sand beach and a rope.

First we have to construct a pendulum with the bottle.
Them we cut the base and make a couple of holes in one of the sides in order to pass the rope and another hole in the stopper to exit the sand filled.

If the bottle is away from the position of equilibrium it begins to oscillate, describing a trajectory that will be recorded in the soil by the stroke that left the sand that falls from the bottle.

Depending of the length of the rope and on the relationship between distances, we can get different figures.

The figures obtained are known as Lissajous figures, names after French scientist Jules Antoine Lissajous, who first observed this in 1857.

by Anabel and Teresa

A whirlpool in a bottle

Materials:


Two bottles made of plastic 1,5 l.
Insulating tape

Execution:

First, we make a 1 cm hole at the tops of the bottles. Then, we fill one of the bottles with 75% of water and join the bottles by means of the tops. To join the two bottles we use the insulating tape. This joint is very important, so do not be stingy with the insulating tape.


When the bottles with water is on top of the other, the water does not fall easily to the empty bottle, but if we make a circular movement with the upper bottles, it generates a whirlpool, and the water falls easily.

Explanation:

When we place the bottles full of water on the top, the water does not fall because of the low compressibility of the air, which takes up the lower bottle and does not let any space for the water to fall.
By the time, the whirlpool is generated by the air of the two bottles that passes from one to the other and the water of the upper bottle falls easily.

By Mercedes and Fátima

An eddy in a bottle

In order to make our experiment we needed two plastic bottles of 1´5 liters.

In the first place, we perforated a hole of 1 cm in the corks of the two bottles. Soon we filled one of the bottles with water until approximately three fourth parts and if united the two bottles by the corks. In order to unite the two bottles insulating tape can be used. Is very important a good union between the bottle.

When the bottle with water is on the empty bottle it is observed that the water does not fall easily to the inferior bottle, but if we give a circular movement to the superior bottle is generated an eddy and the water falls easily.

When placing the bottle in the superior part, water does not fall by the little compressibility of the air locked up in the inferior bottle that does not leave space to the water that falls. When the eddy is generated when moving the superior bottle, it is put in communication the air that is in both bottles and the water of the superior bottle falls easily in to the inferior bottle.

Colegio Sagrado Corazón (Esclavas)
Sevilla (Spain)