Floating Ping Pong Ball

A ping pong ball can be suspended in the air stream of a hair dryer. This demonstrates Bernoulli’s principle, which explains how differences in air pressure keep the ball floating and stable in the moving air.

1. Plug in a hair dryer and set it to blow air straight upward.
2. Hold a ping pong ball above the stream of air and let go.
3. Watch as the ball hovers and stays balanced in the air flow.
4. Experiment by gently moving the hair dryer sideways or tilting it to see how the ball remains suspended.

How to float a ping pong ball on air - The Coandă Effect - Physics Girl :

Suspended Ping Pong Ball in Stream of Air - Science Made Easy:

📄 Floating ping pong ball - Experiment Archive: https://www.experimentarchive.com/experiments/floating-ping-pong-ball/

• Use a beach ball with a leaf blower for a science show.
• Place a toilet paper roll on a stick above the air stream to create a paper fountain.
• Position an empty toilet roll over the floating ping pong ball and observe how it is drawn upward.
• Try with a bent straw and a spun cotton ball to create a miniature version.
• Test how many balls you can float at once.

• Use caution with the hair dryer - it may become hot after prolonged use.
• Keep hair and loose clothing away from the air intake.
• Do not allow small children to handle the hair dryer without supervision.
• Avoid using near water or in damp environments.

• How does Bernoulli’s principle explain why the ball stays in the air stream? (Air moving faster has lower pressure, so higher-pressure surrounding air pushes the ball back into the stream.)
• How much can you tilt the hair dryer before the ball falls out?
• What happens if you try to float two ping pong balls at once?
• Why does adding weight inside a balloon help it float more steadily? (It prevents the balloon from being too light and unstable in the air stream.)