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Physics library
Course: Physics library > Unit 18
Lesson 10: Thermo canThermo can
This project shows how to power a boat with a candle. Created by Karl Wendt.
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- Amazing, a project that anyone can do.
Besides the chemical potential energy is transformed into kinetic energy and cold air is heated, what other physical principles allow the boat to move?
What physical-mathematical model can predict the speed of the boat?(78 votes)- The expanding hot air creates a vacuum which sucks in the cold air in front of the can.(4 votes)
- isn't that how a jet engine works? (mostly)(16 votes)
- P.S. Cool project, you have to do one on Putt-Putt Boats ( flash steam ) using a candle.(3 votes)
- is the top of the can open? like the part where you drink? or is it closed?(9 votes)
- It is open. At about 3 minutes the can turns so you can see it. Hope this helps!(1 vote)
- If we use another colour for the cloth than it will work or not?(1 vote)
- Yes, any color will work. The black was what Karl had at the time.(6 votes)
- what is the main basic of thermo can?(3 votes)
- It works on the principle of Conversion of energy. As we know the energy is neither created nor destroyed, only changes it forms. The energy emitted by candle in form of heat is transferred into kinetic energy which results in movement of boat.Obviously , to have maximum use of the same design of can is important.(1 vote)
- what is the principle behind the can moving?(2 votes)
- cold air is heated and then expands through the back pushing it in the oppisite direction(2 votes)
- very interesting
How fast can the thermo can go?(2 votes)- it depends on how strong the metal is you could make it faster with more candles but too many make it sink(1 vote)
- how does the thermo can work?(1 vote)
- it uses the heat of the candle. when we will put more candles it will go fast.(3 votes)
- Give me the answer of this mcq with explanation
The process of conduction
(A) generally occurs ingases(B) requires a mediumfor heat transfer (C) is a measure of thehotness of solids (D) occurs when water isheated in a beaker(2 votes) - Will the boat travel faster if the ambient air coming into the can is cooler ?
great lil experiment, loved it.(2 votes)
Video transcript
Okay so for this experiment we're going to create a basin. We need to get a sheet of cardboard, fold the edges up to about 1 1/2 inches high. and then tape them off. We're going to cover it with a black plastic table cloth and then were going to fill it with water from a water pitcher. You want the water to be about 3/4 of an inch deep So no we're just taping off our can. We're going to take a brake off blade knife and put some protective gloves on. And we'll trim the area around where we taped And that'll create a flap that we can pull up. And it'll allow the warm air from the can to escape. Okay, so we've got out friend Suzie here and she want to get to the other side to meet Billy, Tommy, and Joey And they'll have a little party and hang out. And so they're on this side and they're all like, "Yay, lets do this, This is going to be awesome." So they're all hanging out over there with their little ping pong ball faces. And they're like, "Suzie, come on, lets do something, we're gonna go see a movie, we're going to a party." And so Suzie's like(the ping pong balls tend to not stay upright well) They have problems with that. So Tommy's going to stay upside down over there. Suzie's over here and she's all like "I wish i could hang out with my friends awww." She wants to go over and hang out with them but she doesn't want to go in the water and she needs to find a way to get across the water to hang out with her friends So she ends up thinking about all the things she has and she has a candle and a can a standard soda can and so she's all like oh I have a candle and i have a can. So she modified the can and the can has taken on some water. She wants to use the can to get across the water in a really quick way. So she made this thermal sail and cut it out and she's going to put the candle inside the can. And then she's going to see if she can use it to get across the pond and to hang out with Timmy Tommy and Joey. Alright, she going to light the candle to being releasing some of the potential chemical energy. And turning it into kinetic energy. And that kinetic energy is coming out in the form of heat. And so that heat is basically causing the air around the candle to expand and so she is going to get in the device. In the little can here and see if the candle has enough power to pull her across the lake. And it looks like it does, here it goes so whats happening is, cool air is rushing in through the mouth of the can and its being heated by the candle. The air is expanding, its pushing on the thermal sail, the flap here and its rising out of the back. And its causing the can to move forward and move across the little pond here. Thats allowing out friend Suzie to meet up with Timmy Tommy and Joey. "Hey guys" They're like hey and her boat can go about its way and they can have their party, they can go to the movie they can go do whatever they want to do.