The Science of Vortex Rings
How are smoke rings formed? Natasha heads to the prep room to test out air cannons. Subscribe for regular science videos: http://bit.ly/RiSubscRibe A toroidal vortex ring is formed when a...
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Here at the Ri recently we've been having a lot of fun with smoke rings. I built this giant cannon for this year's CHRISTMAS LECTURES and I thought, why stop at smoke? Smoke rings, fire rings, bubble rings, they are all vortex rings. Vortex rings are formed when a fluid, which can be a liquid or a gas, is forced through a hole. This forces the fluid to curl back in on itself, which creates a distinctive ring shape called a torus. Fluid dynamics can help us understand why the vortex rings form, which is why I've put together this plastic bag DIY cannon. When you fire a smoke ring, you force the smoke from inside the cannon through the relatively still air of the room. To start with, the smoke is basically a fast-moving ball. As it emerges throug...
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Here at the Ri recently we've been having a lot of fun with smoke rings. I built this giant cannon for this year's CHRISTMAS LECTURES and I thought, why stop at smoke? Smoke rings, fire rings, bubble rings, they are all vortex rings. Vortex rings are formed when a fluid, which can be a liquid or a gas, is forced through a hole. This forces the fluid to curl back in on itself, which creates a distinctive ring shape called a torus. Fluid dynamics can help us understand why the vortex rings form, which is why I've put together this plastic bag DIY cannon. When you fire a smoke ring, you force the smoke from inside the cannon through the relatively still air of the room. To start with, the smoke is basically a fast-moving ball. As it emerges throug...
