Drinking Bird, 4C31.30

Location:

• Cabinet: Thermodynamics Cabinet

• Bay: (A2)

• Shelf: #5

attachment:4C31-30_02i-400.jpg

Description: Also called Dippy Bird or Tippy Bird.

Setup:

1. Make sure that the drinking bird is assembled. If not do the following.
   • 1.1 Insert the Pivot into the openings at the top of the two legs as per the photo below and make the bird move to and fro freely. 1.1
2. Make the felt of bird wet.(The more the head wet the fast the demonstration happens.)
3. Wait until you see the red liquid grow up.

Cautions, Warnings, or Safety Concerns:

1. Do not break the tube( bird body). The red liquid (dichloromethane or methylene chloride)is an acute inhalation hazard and can cause optic neuropathy and hepatitis.

Demonstration:

Put water on the felt of bird. When water evaporates, it makes the temperature of the glass head lower. This makes some of the red liquid (dichloromethane or methylene chloride) vapor to condense. From ideal gas law, the pressure in the head of the bird drop due to the lower temperature and condensation.The difference of the pressure between the head and base of the bird causes the red liquid to be pushed up from the base. Then the head of the bird become heavy and tips over. While the bird tips over, it make air hole that can make red liquid flows back to the bottom bulb and this makes bird go back to its vertical position again. And this will occur periodically until the water on the felt of bird dry.

attachment:DrnkingBird.mpg

References:

1. [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Drinking_bird Wikipedia]

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