Hooked on Science: Flying packing peanuts

We typically use the vacuum cleaner hose to help clean the house, but did you know your vacuum cleaner hose and packing peanuts can be used to help teach an important science lesson?

Materials

* Vacuum cleaner hose

* Styrofoam packing peanuts

Instructions

STEP 1: Place several Styrofoam packing peanuts on a table.

STEP 2: Spin the vacuum cleaner hose above your head while placing the other end of the hose close to the Styrofoam packing peanuts.

Explanation

A low pressure forms inside of the vacuum hose as you spin it above your head. The higher pressure outside of the vacuum hose pushes the Styrofoam packing peanuts into the hose and out of the other end.

Jason Lindsey is a science outreach educator with Hooked on Science. Check out this website hookedonscience.org for webcasts and experiments.