DIY Vortex Generator
Supplies:
A strong cardboard box
Plastic wrap
Duct tape
A box knife or scissors (Use an adult helper!)
Marker
Now Follow These Steps:
Step 1: Trace out a circle on the front of the box.
Step 2: Carefully cut out the circle
Step 3: Cut out a square on the back of the box about an inch away from the edges.
Step 3
Step 4: Fold plastic wrap several layers thick in a square large enough to completely cover the hole on the back of the box.
Step 5: Use Duct Tape to secure the plastic wrap
Step 6: Aim the opening at a light object and gently hit the plastic wrap- you just created a vortex!
Here’s the Science:
Ring formation
A vortex ring can be created anytime a jet of fluid is sent into a still patch of fluid. The fluid can be liquids, like the water, or gasses, like air. Friction between the air molecules and the opening slows down the air on the outside of the jet, which curls back away from the center of the hole, then back through the middle, creating a donut ring. Slower moving air has higher pressure which stabilizes the ring as it travels through the room.
“Try adding some fog, or gas from dry ice into the box. Not only is it easier to aim, but you’ll be able to see the vortex rings moving through the room!”
Vortex Ring filled with fog