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Convection Currents
Convection currents are created by the uneven temperature of a liquid in a closed system. In this activity you
will observe how currents are formed and behave under different circumstances.
Procedure
1. Fill a large glass beaker with water. Sprinkle insoluable neutrally buoyant material into the water.
2. Place a burner under the center of the beaker so that it will heat the water at that point only. Draw the
motion of the suspended particles as the water forms convection currents.
3. Move the burner to one side of the beaker. Draw the motion of this configuration.
4. Try some other burner placements to see what kind of currents you can create. Record your results.
5. Summarize your findings in a rule about the behavior of convection currents:
Convection current rule: