How to Do Bernoulli's Theorem Science Experiment With a Golf Ball

Bernoulli's Theorem relates the speed of moving air or fluid with pressure and is demonstrated through an experiment with a golf ball and a vacuum hose. Follow these steps to help you do this Bernoulli's Theorem science experiment with a golf ball.

Difficulty: Moderately Easy

Instructions

Things You'll Need:

• Golf ball
• Shop vac or vacuum cleaner with hose

1. Set up your shop vac or vacuum cleaner so exhaust air comes out of the vacuum hose. Follow the instructions that came with the shop vac or vacuum cleaner to do this.

2. Hold the hose of the shop vac upright with the hose's opening at the top.

3. Place the golf ball on top of the opening in the hose of the shop vac or vacuum cleaner.

4. Turn on the shop vac or vacuum cleaner so air flows out through the hose.

5. Observe the golf ball floating and bouncing around in the air above the hose of the shop vac or vacuum cleaner. This phenomenon occurs due to Bernoulli's Theorem, which states that an increase in the speed of moving air or a flowing fluid is accompanied by a decrease in the air or fluid's pressure. In this experiment, the increased speed of air coming out of the vacuum's hose causes a decrease in air pressure around the golf ball. This air pressure decrease causes the golf ball to hover in the air over the vacuum's hose.

Tips & Warnings

• If you plan to do this experiment in front of others, such as in front of students, practice beforehand. You will want to make sure that the force of air coming out of the vacuum's hose is strong enough to support the weight of the golf ball.
• Bernoulli's Theorem also helps explain why planes and birds can fly. When air moves fast over a bird or a plane's wing, there's an area of lower pressure created above the wing. Because the air pressure above the wing is lower than the air pressure beneath the wing, the bird or the plane can fly.