[Geysers] Geyser model

[Paul Strasser]

The one Linda did in the 3rd grade worked very well.

A 1000 ml Erlenmeyer flask with a stopper - the kind that has the small hole
in it.  Go to Office Depot and get copper tubing that will just barely, and
with great effort, fit through the hole.  To the top of the tube she
attached a metal funnel (with epoxy, as I recall)  And on top of the funnel
she attached - again with epoxy - a flat piece of wood about 2 feet square
or so with a circular hole in the middle about the size of the top of the
funnel.  The funnel and wood were attached again with epoxy for zero leaks.

The flask, tube, and "basin" were, all told, a couple of feet high.

Yes, it's top heavy you need to figure out how to hold them in place.  

She then got some bondo type substance - I really don't recall - that was
heat-resistant when hard and she fashioned a nice little gently sloping pool
around the hole about a foot wide, with a higher rim to keep the water from
drooling out.

We filled the flask with water (by pouring it down the funnel, put it on an
electric heater, put an barrier of towels or whatnot between the two, and
turned on the heat.

It was fascinating how minor changes in the plumbing (for instance, how high
above the bottom of the flask did you place the bottom of the tubing, or did
you curl the tube once or twice before it went straight up, etc.) affected
eruptions.

aFter a few minutes of heating the water would slowly rise. When it got to
the top and began to fill the basin it would erupt.  After a few seconds of
splashing it would drain quickly.  If you found a nice equilibrium it would
repeat, again and again, until the water evaporated/splashed. By adding a
little bit after each five or so eruptions it just kept going.  Max height
was maybe 4-6 inches.

Think a really tiny Anenome.

I know of others who have created rather larger versions...

Paul Strasser

-----Original Message-----
From: geysers-bounces at lists.wallawalla.edu
[mailto:geysers-bounces at lists.wallawalla.edu] On Behalf Of Karen Webb
Sent: Friday, January 11, 2008 12:12 PM
To: geysers at lists.wallawalla.edu
Subject: [Geysers] Geyser model

Hi gang:
    One computer crash ago, I had logged several variants of working 
geyser models that had been posted on the list.  My son is now doing an 
earth science unit, and his teacher has been nice enough to give me the 
excuse I've always wanted to build one of the silly things.  But oops! 
that info went down the drain, up the tubes, and out the window with my 
last destructive re-install.  Has anyone still got any of this info?  I 
thought I remembered one variant that actually built a working 
fountain-type geyser that would erupt every few minutes if you kept the 
water reservoir hot and wasn't extremely hard to build.
Karen Webb

-- 
Step out of Thy holy chamber, O Maid of Heaven... Drape thyself...in the
silken
Vesture of Immortality, and put on, in the name of  the All-Glorious, the
broidered
Robe of Light.






 
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