Floating Balls - Bernoulli's Principle Visualized

Craig Beals explores several ways to see Bernoulli's Principle and the Coanda Effect in action. Bernoulli's Principle explains that faster-moving air causes lower pressure. This simple principle explains how planes fly and how balls can float in mid-air! Watch as Craig tries to find multiple ways to look at science in a whole new way including modeling Bernoulli's Principle and the Coanda Effect using water to levitate a ball!

WARNING:
This video is only for entertainment purposes. If you rely on the information outlined in this video, you assume responsibility for the results. As with any experiment, proceed at your own risk.

[BealsScience]

Thanks for watching! I'd love to hear from you! Leave me a comment and let me know what you think or share an idea!
~Craig

[tpstrat]

They’re teaching physics all wrong in school. This isn’t just fun. This is how you learn physics. You can’t just pretend like it’s all in Bernoulli’s head. It’s not something Bernoulli made and put in a book. It’s something he discovered. It’s real. But the way they teach it in school is so egotistical as if it is in fact Bernoulli‘s principle. Books suck

[dirkbastardrelief]

I love this guy! He's like the Smarter Every Day guy, but with a beer hat on, and without the part about getting smarter.

[bhaktalex]

With all due respect…somethin' ain't right about this so called Bernoulli Principle visualization. You're saying the ball floats as a result of Bernoulli's Principle but here the ball is merely "floating" by the force of the flow below impacting in equilibrium with gravity…and it is staying in place merely because of its shape which causes the flow to be evenly split all around the object keeping it "in place/centered" but this has nothing to do with Bernoulli's Principle. This is simple "holding" an object with a "dynamic" fluid "stick". The flows upward velocity is simply acting as a kind of support column to the object. The oscillation you observe occurs because of imperfections on the ball, imperfect "placement" of the ball into the flow, or imperfections the source of the thrust you are applying…but if you had perfect flow sourse of both, you'd have a perfectly static ball which would not oscillate, supported by a column of air—Having NOTHING to do with Bernoulli's Principle. But I could wrong.

[stevejohnson]

This guy deserves many more subscribers.

[anondaification]

Bernoulli principle is not very important for panes flight. Do not forget you can build a plane with flat wings

[katelynshorter]

Thank you!!! This has helped me understand for my exam. I now have a true understanding instead of memorizing the material!

[Observer]

+Beals Science,
Craig,
I really do appreciate the work you do to make science exciting. I do the same at several schools and for groups like scouts.
...
However...
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I am very sorry, but it is not correct to say that "faster air has a lower pressure." That is the all too common misinterpretation of Bernoulli's Principle. The air out of the straw and blower is at the same atmospheric pressure as all the still air around it. You can easily measure it yourself as shown in the Weltner paper linked below.
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Bernoulli's Principle says that an increase in speed (this is acceleration) of a flow, IS ACCOMPANIED BY a decrease in pressure.
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It says nothing about cause and effect, nor speed past a surface. It is all about pressure differences along a moving stream and the acceleration those pressures cause.
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The science is that a higher pressure upstream in a flow pushes (accelerates) the air to a higher speed because the downstream pressure is lower. There is a net force behind the flow, therefore, speeding the air up. That is why it is faster when it gets to the lower pressure region. This is nothing more than Newton for Fluids.
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It is centered by the Coanda Effect. Air curving around the ball is the cause of a lower pressure at the surface. Think of centrifugal force trying to keep the air away from the curved surface of the ball (actually the air's inertia trying to go straight). This is what creates the lower pressure. When the ball moves to one side, there is air on the other side curving further around the ball. This lowers the pressure more on that side, bring the ball toward this lower pressure. The changing pressures are caused by air/water traveling less or more around the curve causing less or more pressure reduction at the surface, respectively. The same thing happens when you tilt toe flow off vertical. There is air above the ball flowing farther around the curve lowering the pressure more. If you understand this fully, you can even explain why the ball moves further out as you tip the flow more off vertical.
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The lift explanation is also flawed because Bernoulli says nothing about air moving past a surface. The wing is moving past the air and measurement shows us that the air under the wing gets pushed forward by the wing at a faster speed than the air above the wing gets yanked rearward because of the lower pressure above the wing. That upper air actually reverses direction from moving forward ahead of the wing to moving rearward above the wing. This is a high acceleration from the pressure difference from ahead of the wing to above the wing. More change in pressure, higher acceleration of air.
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Weltner in PDF - "Misinterpretations of Bernoulli's Law". SEE Fig 3 is the fast air measurement:
Reply if you need further explanation.
Regards, Steve
Science and Technical Advisor

[vaibhavbandal]

Hey Craig, Thank you for such an amazing video. I wanna know how do u exactly imagine "Pressure Energy"? How does it makes sense to imagine pressure energy at molecular level?

[chuckypanado]

How about letting it blow at an angle? The ball spins, but is not directly above the source. It looks quite cool since it should fall but doesn't. Anyway, great vid, liked and subscribed!

[scotts.cummings]

Perfect. I know my students will enjoy this. Very engaging Craig.

[safoorachaudhary]

What stops planes from constantly oscillating up and down?

[tacobellplease]

This pleases the court. Great visual! I appreciate what you did here sir.

[mohommadkhan]

Thank you so much! I’ve recently fallen in love with Bernoulli’s principle, and your video helped me so much!

[adarr]

BS💀💀💀. It was a nice and easy way of explaining his principle.

[마틴-rn]

Thank you for the good video. you did real good job.
This video help me understand the Bernoulli's Principle.
fluid dynamics, high pressure, low pressure, gravity, ball....
it's not a trick(conjure), it is a science....^^

[rgbiv]

I just stumbled across your videos. Your enthusiasm and approach to science is really refreshing. Absolutely love your energy! Keep up this great stuff I'm off to find those to cannons of yours lol.

[dorrivix]

saw this done with a strong air jet and a stone ball in a novelty shop once

[thegodlycat]

that damn toilet paper would've been useful nowadays

[thinkingdeep]

As it seems you are keeping the ball on the vertical plane. This is not Bernoulli’s principle as per what I have learnt. This is balancing the weight by a force. Bernoulli’s principle applies for the force applied by the pressure gradient. Am I wrong? Please correct me if I am wrong....