The ball whirl

A pump moves the water in the cylinder. A discharge at the bottom of the cylinder creates a whirl. The water moves downwards in a screw-like motion in the whirl. The ball floating on the water is pulled towards the centre of the whirl and is sucked to the bottom because of a build-up of low pressure.

The whirl is affected by gravity, the amount of movement (i.e., the mass of the water), the circulation speed and the container’s appearance. The higher the speed, the higher the low pressure that pulls the ball downwards.

Where can you see this in everyday life?

Different whirls can occur in many parts of nature, both in the air and in the water. Tornadoes, whirlpools and weather systems are examples of whirls.