The Floating Water Bridge, a demonstration by Dr. Elmar C. Fuchs. Two beakers are filled with triply deionized water. Electrodes are added to each, exposing the water to high d.c. voltage. A cylindrical water bridge forms between them that is stable enough to sustain itself across a few centimeters. Watch the water as the beakers are slowly separated. From FYeah Fluid Dynamics:
Gravity tends to make the water bridge sag and capillary action tries to thin the bridge, but both effects are countered by the polarization forces induced in the water by the electric field.
File under: electrohydrodynamics and do not try this at home. High voltage is dangerous and requires trained adult supervision. Check out more images at Dr. Fuchs’ site. Bonus vid: density fluctuations.
In the archives: more physics videos and more demonstrations like this: an aluminum foil boat floats on a sulphur hexafluoride sea.
Thanks, @flechevallier.
This Webby award-winning video collection exists to help teachers, librarians, and families spark kid wonder and curiosity. TKSST features smarter, more meaningful content than what's usually served up by YouTube's algorithms, and amplifies the creators who make that content.
Curated, kid-friendly, independently-published. Support this mission by becoming a sustaining member today.