TEA BAG ROCKETS
The Conduction Tube: Inside the little tube, there are tons of air molecules, just chilling. When we heat up the top by lighting it, it will then warm up the molecules inside the tube. As the fire walks its way down, it will heat up all the air in the tube.
When it gets to the bottom, two things have happened:
The air inside the tube is now LIGHTER than the air outside, and lifts the bag up like a hot air balloon!
This will set up a conduction current -- the warm air in the tube will go up through the top hole, and this will pull the air in from the bottom, causing it to slowly rise in the air, until finally the material disintegrates and the current dissipates. As the little skeleton fills with cool air, it stops rising, and falls down!
When it gets to the bottom, two things have happened:
- The air gets heated as it goes down to the bottom, forming a tiny warm air column.
- The material has burned away, and the bag is only a skeleton of carbon, making it super light.
The air inside the tube is now LIGHTER than the air outside, and lifts the bag up like a hot air balloon!
This will set up a conduction current -- the warm air in the tube will go up through the top hole, and this will pull the air in from the bottom, causing it to slowly rise in the air, until finally the material disintegrates and the current dissipates. As the little skeleton fills with cool air, it stops rising, and falls down!
Connection to Real Life
Currents happen not only on air, but on any fluid. Anything that can move, can generate a current. You can see this if you look very closely underneath an ice cube on a glass of hot tea; you will be able to see the cool water moving to the bottom.
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Ocean Currents and the Climate
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Tsunamis are different than currents!
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