Make a floating pingpong ball

Using Mom's blow dryer you can create an experiment that might get the entire family hooked on science.

Ingredients

• Blow dryer
• Pingpong ball

Instructions

• STEP 1: Plug the blow dryer into an electrical outlet, switch the setting to high cool and point the flow of air toward the ceiling.
• STEP 2: Place the pingpong ball into the flow of air.

Explanation

The air pressure surrounding the stream of air is higher than the air pressure in the stream of air. The higher air pressure keeps the pingpong ball from escaping the stream of air.

While the stream of air is pushing the pingpong ball upward gravity pulls the pingpong ball downward causing your pingpong ball to float in the air.

Jason Lindsey is a Science Outreach Educator for the Bootheel Youth Museum. Check out his science blog "Hooked On Science" at jasonthescienceguysblog.blogspot.com for webcasts and experiments that might get you hooked on science. Send him your science questions at jlindsey@bootheelyouthmuseum.org. More science experiments can be found at www.semissourian.com.