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In this activity, learners make their own heat waves in an aquarium. Warmer water rising through cooler water creates turbulence effects that bend light, allowing you to project swirling shadows onto a screen. Use this demonstration to show convection currents in water as well as light refraction in a simple, visually appealing way.
- 10 to 30 minutes
- 10 to 30 minutes
- $5 - $10 per group of students
- Ages 8 - 18
- Activity, Demonstration
- English
Quick Guide
Materials List (per group of students)
- One 6- or 12-volt lantern battery or a suitable low-voltage battery eliminator or power supply
- A pencil lead
- A clear plastic or glass container with rectangular flat sides (A small aquarium works fine.)
- A light source (Slide projectors, filmstrip projectors, or flashlights work well. A point-source flashlight, such as a MiniMagliteā¢ flashlight with the reflector removed, will produce sharp images.)
- Food coring (in a small dropper bottle or an eyedropper)
- A projection screen or white posterboard
- 2 electrical lead wires with alligator clips at both ends (available at Radio Shack)
- Tap water
- Switch or dimmer switch (both available at hardware stores) or any sort of rheostat or variable resistor (optional)
- Adult help
Subjects
-
Life Sciences
-
Human Senses and Perception
- Vision
-
Human Senses and Perception
-
Physical Sciences
-
Heat and Thermodynamics
- Heat and Temperature
- Vibration and Waves
-
Light and Optics
- Reflection and Refraction
-
States of Matter
- Liquids
-
Structure and Properties of Matter
- Volume and Density
-
Heat and Thermodynamics
-
The Nature of Science
-
The Scientific Process
- Conducting Investigations
-
The Scientific Process
Audience
To use this activity, learners need to:
- see
- see color
Learning styles supported:
- Involves hands-on or lab activities
Other
This resource is part of:
Access Rights:
- Free access
By:
Rights:
- All rights reserved, The Exploratorium,
Funding Sources:
- National Science Foundation
- California Department of Education
- NEC Foundation of America