STEM Activity: Design a Polar Vortex Blaster

During the coldest months of the year, the Arctic polar vortex shows us that STEM phenomena can take us by surprise! Every winter, a band of frigid winds above the North Pole strengthens as sunlight decreases and temperatures drop. 

Want to learn just how these winds take shape? Escape the cold with this hands-on physics activity and design your own polar vortex blaster!

Materials Needed 

• Balloon
• Construction paper
• Cotton balls
• Glue
• Markers
• Paper or plastic cup
• Scissors
• Table or other flat surface with an edge
• Tape

Step-by-Step Instructions 

1. Gather the balloon, cup, marker, scissors and tape. 
    
2. Tie a knot in the neck of the deflated balloon. Then, cut off the tip on the opposite end. Set the balloon aside. Tip: Inflate the balloon, then allow it to deflate. This makes it easier to stretch later! 
    
3. Flip your cup upside down and draw a half-inch diameter circle on the bottom of the cup with a marker. Tip: A cotton ball is approximately 1 inch in diameter, so your circle should be about half that size! 
    
4. Ask an adult to puncture a hole in the center of the circle. Then, cut out the circle using scissors.  
    
5. Flip the cup over and stretch the balloon over the top with the knot facing out. 
    
6. Secure the balloon to the cup’s sides with tape. You want to create an airtight seal! 
    
7. Use construction paper, glue, markers or other craft items to customize the sides of your polar vortex blaster! Reminder: Do not add materials inside the cup or on the balloon. 
    
8. Get ready to test your blaster! Gather several cotton balls and scatter them across a table or other flat surface with an edge. 
    
9. Ready to test? Hold the cup in one hand with the balloon side facing you. Aim your blaster at one of the cotton balls. Pull back on the balloon’s knot and release it. Try to knock all the cotton balls off the table using your blaster! Tip: If the cotton balls don’t move, check the seal of the balloon. If needed, secure it with more tape. 
    
10. Consider creating your own game or making more blasters! For example, you could time how long it takes to clear the table of cotton balls using your blaster, then challenge your family or friends to beat the record. Consider building another blaster with a different size cup to test which one works the best!

What Are We Discovering? 

Did you know that our atmosphere has several layers? The Arctic polar vortex is in the stratospheric layer. A vortex is a mass of air moving in a circular pattern around a low-pressure center. Your polar vortex blaster demonstrates how the differences in air pressure can create a swirling wind vortex! When you pull and release the knot of the balloon, a fast-moving burst of air interacts with the still air outside the cup to form a ring-shaped vortex. The spinning motion and resulting air pressure difference between the inside and outside of the vortex ring help it stay stable as it moves through the air.

An important part of the Arctic polar vortex phenomenon is that it helps keep extremely cold air circling above the Arctic. Sometimes, the vortex weakens and becomes unstable due to sudden warming. When the Arctic polar vortex is unstable, cold air may move farther south and warm air may make its way up to the Arctic. This shift can lead to severe cold temperatures in places that rarely experience harsh winter weather, taking everyone by surprise!

Interested in discovering more about how and why air moves? Check out this page from NASA’s Glenn Research Center to explore the field of aerodynamics!

Keep Creating

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