Vortex cannons have been used by physics teachers for years, mostly to teach the continuity principle. In its simplest form, a vortex cannon is an empty coffee can with a hole cut in the bottom and the lid replaced.1 More elaborate models can be purchased through various scientific suppliers under names such as “Air Cannon”2 and “Airzooka.”3 We will briefly discuss the uses of a vortex cannon in teaching and a new type of vortex cannon for teaching.
REFERENCES
1.
2.
PASCO scientific, part number SE-7370.
3.
Flinn Scientific, catalog number AP6657.
4.
Physics in a Toroidal Vortex: Air Cannon, Physics Central, American Physical Society; http://www.physicscentral.com/experiment/physicsathome/cannon.cfm.
5.
Elisha
Huggins
, “Smoke ring physics
,” Phys. Teach.
49
, 488
(Nov. 2011
).6.
See videos at TPT Online at http://dx.doi.org/10.1119/1.4865515.1; http://dx.doi.org/10.1119/1.4865515.2; and http://dx.doi.org/10.1119/1.4865515.3.
© 2014 American Association of Physics Teachers.
2014
American Association of Physics Teachers
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