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Anti Gravity Ping Pong Ball Science Experiment #W

18th November 2021

This week our Science Ambassadors demonstrated an anti gravity ping pong ball experiment. Formulated by the Swiss physicist Daniel Bernoulli.
We had lots of fun whilst learning about air pressure. 
The flowing air seems to pull a light object such as a ping pong ball away from still air. The reason for this is that moving air has a lower air pressure than air that isn’t moving.
 
The ping pong ball floats gently above the funnel without shifting sideways or flying across the other side of the room. The airflow pushes the ping pong ball upwards until it’s upward force equals the force of gravity pushing down on it.
The science ambassadors also demonstrated putting a ball on the mouth of a plastic bottle and filling it with water. The bottle was then tipped upside down. The ball remained in place. PHEW !!
 
Multiple forces were acting on the ball. Gravity pulls the ball toward earth whilst the water is pushing down on the ball. The ball stays in place because the water helps to create a seal around the ball and the air pressure or the force exerted by the weight of the air, is greater than the forces pushing and pulling down on the ball.