Water Pressure Showdown: What Happens When You Poke Holes in a Bottle?
I’m Ken Kuwako, a science trainer, and for me, every day is an experiment.
Do you remember that classic science experiment about water pressure? The one where you poke a few holes in a plastic bottle to see how the water flows out? We filmed that very experiment to show you what happens. We prepared a bottle with holes at the top, middle, and bottom. Now, if you pour water into it, what do you think the streams will look like?
Time to think!
Will the water come out with the same force from every hole?
Will the water from the top hole have the most force?
Or will the water from the bottom hole have the most force?
Take a moment and visualize how the water will behave.
Let’s check the answer. When we actually pour the water in, the result is exactly what you see in the video.
You can see that the water from the bottom hole shoots out with the most force, traveling the farthest. The middle hole has a moderate flow, and the top hole just has a weak trickle.
So, why does this happen? The key to this phenomenon is water pressure. Water pressure is the force created by the weight of water. Because water is affected by gravity, the deeper the water, the more weight it has pushing down from above. This means that pressure increases with depth.
In this experiment, the bottom hole is at the greatest depth. Therefore, it’s subjected to the full weight of all the water above it, resulting in strong pressure. As a result, the water shoots out with great force. Conversely, the top hole is closest to the surface and has very little pressure on it, which is why the water only trickles out.
Hopefully, this simple experiment gave you a glimpse into the hidden power of something as common as water. The principles of water pressure are used in countless applications, from designing dams to plumbing systems. Next time you see water flowing, try to look for the hidden forces at play!
Use the power of water pressure to make a rocket! Anyone can make a small plastic bottle rocket!
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