Tabletop Hurricanes: A Study of Vortex Stability in a Rotating Fluid

Overview

Objectives/Goals The objective of this experiment was to determine which factor most impacts the stability of a vortex in a rotating fluid. Methods/Materials Multi-speed turntable, basin, water, food coloring, stopwatch. Measured the amount of time a stable vortex lasted when subjected to different factors (High and low heat, low rotational speed, and a physical disturbance). Results Vortices were subjected to the different factors, with 3 trials per factor. The control vortices lasted an average of 40 minutes, the low heat vortices 61 minutes, the high heat 6 minutes, the low rotational speed 35 minutes, and the physical disturbance 31 minutes. Conclusions/Discussion Vortices were subjected to different factors multiple times, which revealed that the factor with the greatest impact is the heat of the fluid surrounding the vortex, not the physical disturbance as hypothesized. Thus, the most plausible cause for a considerable change in the stability of a vortex is a change in temperature.

Competition history

• CSEF 2016 Aerodynamics/ Hydrodynamics (Junior Division Only) · Entry J0114

Resources

• CSEF project summary ↗

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