Thermodynamics > Heat and the First Law > Convection
DCS# 4B20.50
CONVECTION CELLS
APPARATUS
hot plate
101-12-C
beaker or petri dish
101-01-C
silicone oil
202-11-E3
pigment
powder
202-11-E3
camera
202-09-C
DESCRIPTION
Place a thin (~1/2 cm) layer of
the
oil/powder mixture in a petri dish on the hot plate. Set the
temperature to about 150 degrees. Convection cells will form and
are made visible by the iridescent pigment. Hot oil rises in the
centers of
the cells and the cooled oil falls near the cell boundaries.
