Mad Science of Sacramento Valley - Thermal Eagles!
Channel: Mad Science of Sacramento Valley
Date: 2014-01-14

What you need:

1 White paper plate
Paper
Scissors
Colored Pencils
Glue
Heat Source (such as incandescent light bulb)
Thread

What you do:

1. Cut the ribbed edge off the paper plate. Start from the middle of the plate and draw a spiral about 1.5bm (1/2") wide. Cut along this ling.

2. Poke a small hole in the center of the spiral. Tie the thread through this hole.

3. Copy the picture of the eagle four times onto a sheet of paper and color them in. Cut out all four eagles and glue them onto the spiral so that they all face the same direction. Bend the middle of their wings slightly upward. This is a mobile.

4. Hang your mobile over a heat source.

What's going on:

The rising warm air is called a thermal! The paper spiral turns as the warm current of air from your heat source rises. The current of air is strong enought to push against the paper, making it move. In nature, the sun warms up parts of the surface of the earth faster than others creating rising, warm currents of air. The air above the warmer parts of the earth becomes warm, while the air above the cool part of the earth remains cool. The warm air rises, and the cool air sinks. Birds like eagles and vultures spread their wings and glide upwards on thermals.

Now try this:

The direction of the spiral controls the direction the mobile spins. How can you make your eagles soar in the opposite direction?





Mad Science of Sacramento Valley
(916)779-0390
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