Old School Demonstrations:

Bernoulli’s Principle (Demos)

➢ Lesson Plan: Bernoulli’s Principle (Demos)

Background: Daniel Bernoulli was a Swiss mathematician during the eighteenth

century. Bernoulli studied a physical phenomenon/relationship between the velocity
of a fluid and pressure. His observations and applied mathematical explanations
became known as Bernoulli’s Principle. (Detailed explanation of Bernoulli’s Principle
below: Related Web Resource - Flight, Airfoils, Forces and Bernoulli’s Principle)
Bernoulli’s Principle describes a phenomenon in which the pressure (pressure is
the amount of force applied over an area) of a fluid (gas or liquid) changes with a
change in the velocity of the fluid. Bernoulli observed that an increase in the
velocity of the fluid resulted in a decrease in the pressure of the fluid. Also, a
decrease in the velocity of a fluid resulted in an increase in the pressure.

- Velocity - Velocity

- Pressure - Pressure
(P = Force/Area) (P = Force/Area)

This lab write-up includes many demonstrations that highlight Bernoulli’s

Principle. We will start with flight/lift and continue from
there. Each section will include a small explanation and
related video lesson.
Lift (airplane flight) is probably one of the most well-
known and controversial occurrences described by
Bernoulli’s Principle. Many times Bernoulli’s Principle is
used exclusively to describe flight. In reality flight is a very
complex integration of many factors including drag, Bernoulli’s Principle, Newton’s
3rd Law of Motion, gravity, Coanda effect, angle of attack, downwash, etc. During
these demonstrations we will only consider Bernoulli’s Principle when
describing lift. I have included an extensive list of sites that describe mechanisms of
flight/lift.

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 Bernoulli’s Principle (Demos)
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Materials: Flight/Lift
➢ Styrofoam plane
➢ Colored round stickers (2 colors)
➢ Classroom with student desks
➢ Paper (8.5”X11”)
➢ Measuring tape
➢ Stopwatch (3-5)
Pressure at Rest Decreased Pressure
Procedure:
During this lab/demonstration you will
use a Styrofoam airplane to explain lift,
and then the students will construct
paper airplanes and compete in a paper
airplane throwing contest.
➢ Setup/Process
1. Place 35-40 colored stickers on the upper and
lower sides of one of the wings. On the second
wing, place 20-25 colored stickers on the
bottom and 8-10 on the top.
2. Describe the pressure on an airplane wing at
Resting - Upper
rest. Wing (left) with 35-40 stickers on
upper and lower sections. The pressure and
force above and below the wing are the same.
Atmospheric pressure at sea-level is
approximately 14.7 lbs./in2.
3. Show the wing (airfoil) from the side – draw an
airfoil on the board. Air flowing over the top of
the airfoil travels faster than below the airfoil.
4. Now use the difference in the stickers on the
wings to show how an increase in velocity occurs Resting - Lower
on top of the wing resulting in a decrease in
pressure. Compare the wing at rest with equal dots to the wing in
motion. The wing with 20-25 colored stickers on the bottom and 8-10
on the top represents a decrease in the number of air particles
contacting the wing as the velocity increases (visual for younger
students).

Increased Velocity Increased Velocity

Upper Lower

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Procedure Continue (Flight/Lift):

5. Show the students an example of a paper airplane. Describe/show how
small adjustments can change the flight of the paper airplane.

Flaps Opened:
Increased air resistance
when falling, decrease
in drop rate.

Adjustable Flaps:
Changes the flight
path of the plane.

Corners Curled (Wing Warping):

Changes flight path of the plane.

6. The students will construct a paper airplane and compete in a paper

airplane throwing contest.
• Airplane designs available online, example website listed under
Related Web Resource.
• Additional paper airplane designs could be found by completing
an Internet search.
• Possible categories for the contest (choose one or more categories)
1. Longest distance
2. Longest time in the air
3. Longest distance in shortest amount of time
4. Longest distance in longest period of time
5. Etc.
What to expect: The students should observe that slight changes or adjustments
in the design of a plane can drastically change the flight of the plane.

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Related Web Resource (Flight/Lift):

Paper Airplanes
➢ Airplane designs
• Paper Airplanes - NASA
• Paper Airplane Activity - NASA
• Paper Airplane Design (Exploratorium Magazine Online)

Video Clips and Activity Ideas

➢ The Challenges of Flight (PBS LearningMedia)

➢ How Things Fly (Smithsonian)

➢ The Forces on an Airplane (MIT)

➢ Search PBS LearningMedia

➢ Dinosaur Train (PreK–Elementary lesson and video)

➢ Cyberchase Activity: Click on Top Flight (activity)

➢ Scientific American Frontiers: Flying Free – Episode #9 (classic video)

➢ DragonflyTV | Wing Shape and Stunts (Video)

➢ The Physics of Sailing (video and guide)

Flight, Airfoils, Forces, and Bernoulli’s Principle

➢ How Does a Wing Actually Work? (Veritasium)

➢ The Courage to Soar Educator Guide (NASA)

➢ Bernoulli and Newton (NASA)

➢ Incorrect Lift Theory (I, II, & III) (NASA)

➢ Foam Wing (NASA)

➢ Aerodynamics of Flight – Helicopters (FAA)

➢ Dynamics of Fluid Demos (Auburn University)

➢ Airplane Aerodynamics and Turbulence

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Bernoulli's Ball Video Demonstration This is a twist on the classic Ping-Pong

ball/hairdryer demonstration used to show Bernoulli's Principle. A leaf blower replaces the
hairdryer and a beach ball replaces the Ping-Pong ball. This is amazing to watch.

Materials: Bernoulli’s Ball

➢ Hairdryer
➢ Ping-Pong ball
➢ Extension Cord
➢ Leaf blower
➢ Assortment of balls (various sizes and weights)
➢ Large room (gym works well)

Procedure: During this demonstration a hairdryer will be used to float a Ping-Pong ball,
and then a leaf blower will be used to float a beach ball.

➢ Setup/Process
1. Ask the students if they have ever seen a display in a store in
which a beach ball is floating above a fan.
2. Place a Ping-Pong ball above the hairdryer; ask the students
how the Pong-Pong ball is able to float above the ball without
falling. Turn off the dryer.
3. Turn on the dryer and slowly turn the hairdryer from 90
degrees to 45 degrees. The ball should not fall.
4. Perform the demonstration using a larger ball(s) and a leaf blower.

What to expect: This is a classic demonstration of Bernoulli’s Principle. Note: For both A.
and B. (below) – gravity/weight is providing a downward force and dryer/blower is providing
an upward force. There are two primary explanations for this demonstration. A.) There is a
moving stream of air traveling around the ball resulting in an area of less pressure. The ball
is prevented from falling out of the moving stream of air because it is pushed in by the
higher pressured air adjacent to the moving stream of air. B.) The air travels around the
ball and is moving at the greatest velocity at the top of the ball, resulting in an area of low
pressure above the ball (lift). The ball is drawn toward the area of low pressure. This area of
low pressure can be disturbed by placing a hand above the ball. Explanation B is shown in
the video.

A. Moving stream B. Area of low

of air resulting pressure
Area of high in less pressure above the ball
pressure, ball
pushed inward
toward area of
low pressure

Air Source Air Source

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Materials: Bernoulli's Bag

➢ Long plastic tube(s)
▪ Different names, depending on supplier (Bernoulli’s bag, WindTube,
Bernoulli’ tube)
• One supplier (http://www.teachersource.com/product/windtubes/air-pressure)
• A garbage bag also works, but the demo is not as effective.

Procedure: This classic science demonstration shows Bernoulli's Principle. A

moving stream of air produces an area of low pressure (vacuum.) Air moves from
high pressure to low pressure filling the bag with air.

➢ Setup/Process
1. Have 3-4 students come to the front of the room and face the class.
2. Challenge the students: each person, including the teacher, will get 5
breaths to see who can fill up the bag with the most air.
3. Have each student, one at a time, blow 5 breaths into the bag.
4. Order the students from most air in bag to least air in bag.
5. Then the teacher (Bernoulli’s Principle) will fill the bag with one breath.
• Hold the bag open, removing folds, and place it 6’’ - 12’’ from
your mouth.
• Blow one large breath into the bag as you step back.

What to expect: Most students will do one of the following: A.) They will blow
one breath into the bag and not remove their mouth from the bag. They will
rebreathe the same breath over and over again. The amount of air in the bag
represents one forced exhalation. B.) A second group of students will exhale 5
separate breaths into the bag.
The bag can be easily filled with one breath using Bernoulli’s Principle. The
moving stream of air exhaled is moving faster than the air around it. This creates
an area of low pressure (vacuum.) This area of low pressure draws air from the
area of high pressure around it, because fluid moves from an area of high pressure
to an area of low pressure. The bag is filled with a small amount of air from the
lungs and a large amount from the room. See diagram below.

Area of There is a moving stream of fluid (air) blown

higher pressure from the girl’s mouth resulting in an area of
less pressure (vacuum.) Air moves from an
area of higher pressure to an area of lower
pressure. The bag fills with lung/room air.

Area of
higher pressure

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Materials: Bernoulli's TP
➢ Leaf blower
➢ Extension Cord
➢ Dowel rod (normally sold in 4’ lengths)
➢ Toilet paper (inexpensive)
➢ Paper (8.5” X 11”)

Procedure: During this classic science demonstration a leaf blower is used to

propel toilet paper into the air using Bernoulli's Principle. A moving stream of air
produces an area of low pressure. Air moves from high pressure to low pressure.

➢ Setup/Process
1. Ask the students if a piece of paper will go up or down if air is
blown across the top of it.
2. Have all of the students blow air across the top of a piece of paper.
3. Ask the students why the paper moves in the upward direction.
4. Explain why the paper moves in an upward direction.
5. Ask the students what they think will happen if air is blown across
the top of a roll of toilet paper suspended on a dowel rod.
6. Blow air across the top of a roll of toilet paper. (roll should be
suspended to unroll away from the blower, it works best if it unrolls
from the top)
7. Explain why the toilet paper is propelled into the air.

What to expect: The moving stream of air from the leaf blower is moving faster
than the air around it. This creates an area of low pressure (vacuum.) This area of
low pressure draws air from the area of high pressure around it, because fluid
moves from an area of high pressure to an area of low pressure. The toilet paper is
pushed upward by the higher pressure below it and is propelled by the moving
steam of air.

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Materials: Bernoulli's (air) Tube

➢ Plastic tube
▪ Different names, depending on supplier (Bernoulli’s Tube,
Sound Tube, Resonance Tube)
• One supplier
o http://www.teachersource.com/product/sound-tubes/sound-
resonance
➢ Confetti (three-hole punch)
➢ Water may be used instead of confetti (outside)
➢ Paper cup to hold confetti

Procedure: During this classic science demonstration a plastic tube is spun

resulting in a high pitched sound being produced.

➢ Setup/Process
1. Hold the large end of the tube and spin the tube above your head.
2. Different pitches can be produced by varying how fast the tube is
spun.
3. Tell the students that air is traveling through the inside of the tube
producing the sound.
4. Ask the students if the air is traveling up the tube or down the
tube.
5. Place your hand on the bottom of the tube as your spin it, the
sound goes away.
6. Place the larger end of the tube in a cup of confetti or water. The
confetti\water will be pulled from the cup and propelled out the end
of the tube.
Moving steam of air - area of less
What to expect: The distal end of the tube is pressure - air is drawn upward
toward area of less pressure.
moving through the air faster than the end that is
being held. This creates an area of low pressure
(vacuum.) This area of low pressure draws air from
the area of high pressure at the opposite end of the
tube. The inside of the tube is corrugated; the air
molecules hit the ridges inside of the tube causing
them to tumble creating vortices/vibrations. Sound
is produced by these vibrations. The sound is intense
because it is vibrating at one of the tubes natural
frequencies - acoustic resonance.

Area of greater pressure, air moves up

tube toward area of less pressure.

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