Laminar Flow DIY

Materials you'll need

• Balloon
• Garden hose (or another water source)
• Electrical tape
• Needle or pin

 

Step-by-step tutorial

Step 1: Slide a balloon over the end of a hose and fill it with water until it's round and full — not to bursting!

Step 2: Take the balloon off the hose, squeeze out any trapped air, and tie the neck shut.

Step 3: Stick two strips of electrical tape onto the side of the balloon in a crisscross pattern, pressing down firmly so the tape is completely sealed to the balloon.

Step 4: Hold the balloon steady at the edge of a table or ledge, taped side facing outward, and let the water settle so it isn't sloshing around.

Step 5: Use a needle to poke a tiny hole through the very center of the tape.

Step 6: Watch closely — the water should shoot out in one smooth, glassy stream that looks like it's frozen in midair!

Learn more

This eye-popping trick shows off laminar flow — when a fluid moves in smooth, straight layers instead of a jumbled, chaotic mess (that jumbled kind is called turbulent flow). Normally, water rushing through a rough or jagged hole gets bumped around right away and turns turbulent, which is why a popped balloon usually sprays everywhere. Pressing smooth, taut tape over the puncture spot keeps the opening even, so the water can slip out in calm, parallel layers instead of crashing into itself. That's why the stream looks so still and glassy, almost like a glass rod.