Fluidizing Bed Set up
Fluidizing Bed Set up

 

Code Number: 2C60.10

Demo Title: Fluidizing Bed

Condition: Excellent

Principle: Fluidization

Area of Study: Fluids

Equipment: 

Large Plastic Container with Sand Blasting Beads, Balls of Different Densities, Compressed Air, and Toy Boat.

Procedure:

Connect the air hose to the compressed air and the connection on the plastic container. Turn on just enough air to see some geysers appear in the beads. A buried ping pong ball will rise when the air is turned on, and a steel ball bearing will sink. A golf ball is almost neutrally buoyant and will sink half way into the beads but still be visible. A toy boat will be able to "sail" in the beads just as it can in the water.

References:

  • Eric Bertin, "Statistical Physics of Frictional Grains: Some Simple Applications of the Edwards Statistics", AJP, Vol. 92, #5, May 2024, p. 375.
  • D. A. May and J. J. Monaghan, "Can a Single Bubble Sink a Ship?", AJP, Vol. 71, #9, Sept. 2003, p. 842.
  • Bruce Denardo, Leonard Pringle, Carl DeGrace, and Michael McGuire, "When Do Bubbles Cause a Floating Body to Sink?", AJP, Vol. 69, #10, Oct. 2001, p. 1064. 
  • George Spagna, "Buoyant Force Analog: A Demonstration for the Vertical Stage Overhead Projector", AJP, Vol. 49, #5, May 1981, p. 507.
  • Alex Lopatka, "Flows of Volcanic Rock and Gas Ride a Carpet of Air", Physics Today, Vol. 72, #6, June 2019, p. 19.
Liquid Sand Hot Tub - Fluidized Air bed 

Video Credit: Daniel Reinart.

2B40.90 - Fluidizing Bed

 

 

2B40.90 - University of Maryland QOTW Answer #354

 

 

2B40.90 - University of Maryland QOTW Answer #354 High-Res