5 Simple Water Tricks Using Temperature Changes

I have just learned how by heating air, it dilates and grows bigger.

I wondered what I could use that trick for and came up with a few ideas. On this Instructables, I will explain how to do the experiment and how it works, and give you some ideas as to what you can use it for.

If you read this all the way you will know how to propel a water-rocket, water your plants, hydrate your dog and make a timed water-bomb and a flying balloon.

All that just by heating the water...

Step 1: Gathering Materials

To realize this experiment you will need:

- a glass container with plastic cap

- a big heat resistant flat-bottom bowl

- a straw

- a multi-tool ustensil

Step 2: Piercing the Cap

To pierce the cap, use the pointy part of the knife and poke a hole at the bottom.

The hole will close itself once you take the knife out so use a flat-head screwdriver and twist it around in the hole. You can use the pliers of the tool to rip out the remaining parts.

Blow into the big opening to check if the air can move freely through the hole.

Step 3: Inserting the Straw

This step is relatively simple, even though it is tricky.

I used a metal straw, put it in the hole, put the plastic straw in the metal one the pulled the metal one out. The plastic straw should now be all the way out of the hole so that it almost touches the bottom of the glass container.

(unlike on the pictures)

Step 4: Adding the Water and Closing the Cap

Add cold water in the container so that there is still air, but just enough not to make the module float.

Make sure that the end of the straw is in the water.

Put the cap so that the air can only flow through the straw.

Step 5: Boil Water and Setup

Start to boil water and setup the whole thing:

Put the glass container in the bowl and wait for your water to boil.

Step 6: Pour Hot Water and Wait

Pour the hot water in the big plastic bowl and wait a few seconds.

Step 7: Results

If you followed the instructions properly, water should start dripping from the end of the straw.

Step 8: How It Works

It is fairly simple:

The hot water heats up the air, which grows and pushes out the water by the only exit: the straw.

That simple !

Step 9: Other Ideas...

Yeah, that is cool, but you just want the rocket-bomb-flying-water-dog thing I mentioned in the beginning, right ?

Well, here it is:

to water your plants, connect a resistance to a battery and put it in the air compartment so it is constantly heated

to make a rocket, do the watering plant thing but dont put water and dont pierce the cap. The pressure is going to get so high that the cap will be ejected and the rocket-cap should fly...

to make a water bomb, poor boiling water into a ballon, close it, hide it and run for your life. A few moments later it will grow and explode, wiping out all living things on its way.

to hydrate your dog, just do the same thing as the plant watering system, but if you really dont want your dog to die, you should just give him a bottle of water. :-)

for the flying ballon, put a tiny bit of boiling water in a heat-resistant balloon. It will fly up and eventually pop.