If floating were easy, everyone would do it! How does the Coanda Effect work? A video from a fascinating physics playlist shows how balanced upward and downward forces float a ping pong ball in a stream of air.

Concepts

air, force of gravity, force, floating, viscosity, inertia

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Additional Tags

science

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Instructional Ideas

• Perform the demonstration live and have pupils create their own explanations; watch the video and have them check their work
• Provide a few hair dryers and let the class try to float a ping pong ball themselves

Classroom Considerations

• Be sure to cover forces, inertia, and viscosity before introducing the Coanda Effect

• This video is hosted on YouTube

Pros

• The narrator explains the phenomenon clearly
• Force diagrams show the forces acting on the ball throughout the demonstration

Cons

• None

Common Core

SL.6.2 SL.7.2 SL.9-10.2