How do those drinking birds work?

[Deeko]

Yea my physics teacher had one of those drinking birds in class today...lol I didn't pay attention at all, I just watched the bird the whole class How do those things work, anyway?

 

[mrCide]

so you have someone perfectly capable of explaining it but you rather come home and bug ATOT for the answer?

 

[Deeko]

haha he was teaching us about like center of gravity and momentum and stuff...if the bird ties into any of that he didn't say, he just had it there sitting on one of the lab tables

 

[Mean MrMustard]

I want one of those!...ever since I first saw one.

 

[Amused]

The bird consists of two hollow glass chambers (head and body) which are joined together by a double- walled glass tube. The outer tube provides mechanical support while the inner tube extends into the body chamber below the surface of a colored non-flammable liquid. The bird's head is coated with some sort of fuzzy material, and is initially soaked in water so that it will begin to cool by evaporation. This then provides a temperature difference from head to tail, which is necessary for it to function. As the head cools, the colored liquid fluid rises up from the body of the bird through the neck. This shifts the center of gravity of the bird toward its head, causing the bird to swivel down and dips its bill into a glass of water. This keeps its head wet, making it cooler than its body. The liquid continues to rise into the head, and the level of the liquid in the body eventually drops below the end of the connecting tube, allowing vapor to be pulled back up through the neck to equalize the pressure. The liquid then runs back down into the body of the bird, it stands up again and the cycle keeps repeating as long as there is water in the glass.

 

[cjchaps]

Answer Here.
Give me a good rating

 

[Amused]

BTW, you can get your drinking birds here:

Edmund Scientific

 

[Amused]

<< Answer Here.
Give me a good rating >>



LOL, sorry, I got it first

 

[BettyBoop]

There is a good explanation of how the drinking bird works at HowStuffWorks.com. And the links at the bottom of the page will lead you to more information about drinking birds than you may want.

HowStuffWorks.com is a great site for finding answers to a variety of different questions. Although it's mainly aimed at kids, there's interesting stuff for people of all ages. Between that site and the fabulous StraightDope.com, one can answer damn near any question, not to mention dream up a few neat items for bar bets.

[EDIT-- Hot jiminy, you guys are fast. Sorry about the duplicate information.]

 

[Deeko]

Thanks alot

 

[cjchaps]

My answer has PICS, your doesn't
So you should get an average rating, while I should get an above average rating for providing PICS.



<<

<< Answer Here.
Give me a good rating >>



LOL, sorry, I got it first >>

 

[Amused]

<< My answer has PICS, your doesn't
So you should get an average rating, while I should get an above average rating for providing PICS. >>



HA! I typed mine from memory! You had to scrounge for yours!



PLUS, I gave info on where to buy them!

 

[Cyberian]

<< How do those drinking birds work? >>


I still say it's all done with smoke and mirors.

 

[kt]

<<

<< My answer has PICS, your doesn't
So you should get an average rating, while I should get an above average rating for providing PICS. >>



HA! I typed mine from memory! You had to scrounge for yours!



PLUS, I gave info on where to buy them! >>



sorry.. but PICS always rule!

 

[BigSmooth]

<< HA! I typed mine from memory! You had to scrounge for yours! >>


LIAR!
Clearly, you plagiarized from Carnegie Mellon! I ACCUSE THEE!!!

 

[Amused]

<<

<< HA! I typed mine from memory! You had to scrounge for yours! >>


LIAR!
Clearly, you plagiarized from Carnegie Mellon! I ACCUSE THEE!!!

>>



Actually, I plagiarized another website who plagiarized Carnegie. It's a sick twisted web of deceit.

 

[MikeO]

<<

<< How do those drinking birds work? >>



I still say it's all done with smoke and mirors. >>



ROFLMAO!!!

 

[BigSmooth]

<< It's a sick twisted web of deceit. >>


Oh, what a tangled web we weave when we try to discover the mystery of the drinking bird!

Clearly, there are some things that Man was never meant to understand.

 

[MaxDSP]

I'm gonna build my own with Coke