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Water, nature, chaos



Chaos begins where classical science reaches its limits. The irregular side of nature and its erratic and unpredictable behaviour have always challenged scientists and researchers. Several exhibits are dedicated to chaos in this area of the exhibition. The Chaotic fountain, for example, illustrates the famous butterfly effect particularly well: the image for the impossibility of predictions due to certain initial conditions and physical laws.

You can also discover the beautiful sides of nature in this area of the exhibition: have a go at making giant Soap Bubbles or at releasing perfectly formed Cloud Rings into the air. A literal highlight of this area is the Fire Tornado that whirls almost five metres high, rendering the unbridled force of nature visible in the most impressive way.

Music lovers can show off their talents at the Raindrop Drums and prove that a little water is often all you need to have real fun. And in quiet moments, you can watch the water drops in slow motion with the fascinating Strobe Fountain or linger over your thoughts with the galactic Icy Bodies whirling around.
Exhibit-Links
10104 Detail

A Slice of Turbulence

by Ned Kahn If the crest of the wave collapsed over the surfer off Hawaii and he could bring home a slice of salami from it, he would have the original to the…

10515 Haupt

Aeolian Landscape

«Aeolian Landscapes» Wind shapes the landscape, just like water and ice do. As the wind sweeps over the sand surface, dune-like ripples form. When their…

10262 Haupt

Air Bubbles

Like dolphins: forming rings that rise. By pumping air into the glass tube filled with water, air bubbles rise. They ascend vertically. Often in a straight…

10344 Haupt

Ascending magma

«Intrusion» Volcano in cross-section: This is what happens beneath its vent. What looks like magma is actually air-blown glass particles. They behave like a…

10035 Detail

Ball on water-beam

Drawn to the jet. Table tennis balls float on a water fountain: how is that possible? The ball doesn’t stay exactly in the center of the jet. It rotates…

11090 Haupt I

Cartesian Diver

Sinks / Doesn’t Sink Sometimes called a “Cartesian diver,” this hollow body is partially filled with water and air. Depending on the pressure in the liquid,…

10056 Haupt I

Chaotic fountain

«Chaotic (or Turbulent) Fountain» Direction of rotation: impossible to predict. The twelve containers of this fountain wheel are all the same size. They are…

10054 Haupt

Chaotic Pendulum

Momentum and Joint A long, light pendulum connected to a small but heavy pendulum. A push on the knob sets the entire system in motion. The effect on the…

10055 detail

Chaotic Pendulum II

Momentum and Reversal Three smaller pendulums attached to a large rotating arm. A push on the knob sets the entire system in motion. The effect on the three…

10102 Detail

Circling Wave Umbrella

«Circling Wave Umbrella» The fabric hangs limply from the pole. When set in rotation, it ripples, much like women's skirts during a folk dance. A small hole…

10521 Detail

Cloud Rings

A cloud maker like no other! The large basin is filled with water mist. Pressing the lid with a hole causes a mist column to rise in the center – up to seven…

10027 Haupt

Confused Sea

Master of the Winds. Play the god of winds – Aeolus would be thrilled. The half-sphere of plexiglass is filled with water. The strength of the rotating fan…

10484 1

Convection cells

«Convection Cells» Warm air rises, as does warm liquid. This forces air and moisture to descend in other areas. The structures that form resemble cauliflower…

11046 Illustration alt

Dancing Water Drop

Leidenfrost Phenomenon. The water droplet lasts surprisingly long when it falls onto a scorching hot plate. It zips across the 280-degree surface, carried by…

10210 Phänomen

Icy Bodies

Comet Rain Dry ice doesn’t melt when it warms up. It turns directly into a gas, and very quickly too. This gas shoots out of the small fragments involved…

10520 Detail

Infalling Cloud

«Infalling Cloud» Resembling galactic spiral nebulae, whirling wisps endlessly plunge into the funnel. The water vapor, denser than the surrounding air, is…

10217 Haupt

Internal Waves

Wave Backwards Tilt the container – the heavier blue liquid flows downward. When it hits the container wall, it bounces back, creating a wave moving…

10220 Haupt

Kalliroscope©

Magic and Beauty of Flowing Motion A vortex generator or rather a spectator par excellence. It allows for enchanting, seemingly chaotic, yet somehow regular…

10994 Detail

Landfall

Funnels and Valleys The sand in this large glass sphere flows through holes in the bottom, creating breaks in the sand’s surface that resemble alpine…

10170 Detail I

Large drain vortex

Plug removed: This is how the bathtub empties. A water vortex is usually seen – if at all – from above. Like the one in the bathtub drain. Here, the water…

10422 Detail

Liquid Dynamics

Chaotic eddies, turbulent swirls – and calm zones. Turbulences become visible. In the flow tank, they appear in the water. Very similar to what happens in a…

10254 Detail

Lying Water Disk

Water shapes sculptures. When two water jets collide, the water is deflected sideways. A water membrane forms, creating a disc. The pressure in the two pipes…

10136 Haupt

Meanderings

Meanders on glass. The glass plate is slightly tilted. Thin streams of water flow over it. What paths does the water take? The fastest path is a straight…

10052 Detail

Rift Zone

«Rift Zone» An air-filled membrane covered by a layer of sand. Press the button, and small sand fountains soon bubble up. The surface rises…

10360 Haupt

Sand images

Sliding, floating, flowing So beautiful, so fascinating: The sand, moving here between glass plates, tells a story far beyond that of an hourglass. When it…

10361 Detail II

Settling Column

«Settling Column» Sand follows gravity. The same happens in this rotating glass tube. Mostly filled with water, the sand settles at the bottom. How can the…

10392 Haupt

Slow Bubbles

«Slow Bubbles» Beautiful, how the bubbles rise slowly. In the thicker silicone oil, they have significant buoyancy but also more friction than in water. This…

10386 Phänomen

Soap Bubble Basin

Loooong bubbles For kids big and small: form soap bubbles several meters long. Sometimes, a bubble stretches into a tube large enough for a child to fit…

10410 Haupt

Standing Water Disk

Collision of two water jets When two water jets collide, the water is deflected sideways. A thin water membrane, resembling a disk, forms. Surface tension…

10300 Haupt

Surface Tension

Clear and tangible. Astonishingly strong, the forces acting on the surface of the water. Slowly pull a metal ring out of the water: you can see how the…

10432 Haupt

Taylor-Couette Vortices

Taylor-Couette Flow Two nested cylinders: The gap between them is filled with a liquid (kalliroscope) that makes flows visible. The inner cylinder can…

10434 Haupt

Tectonic Basin

«Tectonic Basin» When the earth shakes, solid ground begins to flow or even «boil» as if it were liquid. Here, the garnet-red sand particles vibrate and move…

11864 Haupt

The big is in the small: crystals

Amazing Order Shake it, please. When the balls come to rest, they arrange themselves into regular patterns. These patterns can be compacted, almost to…

DSCF1135

The Tea Leaves Experiment / Tea Cup Experiment

«Everyday Physics» Experiment like Albert Einstein. In a paper about river meander formation, he wrote: «I begin with a small experiment that anyone can…

10072 Haupt

Turbulent Orb

Currents and their Shapes Ever spun a globe? Turned by a hand crank, it creates horizontal bands. What happens when the movement slows down? Chaotic, stormy…

10875 Haupt

Underwater Avalanche

«Underwater Avalanche» The "sand" in this round, water-filled vessel consists of tiny glass beads. Depending on the tilt of the disc, the flow patterns vary…

10362 Haupt

Underwater Sandstorm

Underwater dunes At the seaside, in the shallow sandy shore, you can observe an underwater dune landscape sculpted by the tides. In the plexiglass sphere…

10445 Haupt

Vortex Action in Bottles

Race: Empty the Bottle A simple task: Who can empty their PET bottle faster? Turn the bottle – the rest happens on its own. But it can go even faster. How?…

10518 Haupt

Vortice Cylinder

Whirlpool in a Glass of Water Turn vigorously, please. Driven by the hand crank, the water in the cylinder starts spinning slowly, then faster and…

10975 Haupt

Watch Water Freeze / Ice Flowers

Watch Water Freeze Crystals form on the cold surface, like frost flowers on windows, a sight we see less often thanks to better insulation. Here, you can see…

10497 Detail

Water Bell

Like an elastic skin. Water flows upward against a flat surface. Diverted outward, it forms a bell shape. The shape of this bell depends on the pressure of…

thema-Links

Buoyancy

Chaos

Currents

Mechanics

Physics

Thermodynamics

more to browse
11967 Phänomen

Current and magnets

You are electromagnetic From dancing magnets to currents in your own body: experience electromagnetism up close.

10124 Haupt

Light and sight

Learn how light brings the world alive for us.

Main mechanikum

Mechanicum

Power, momentum and spin - a game with gyroscopes, pendulums and springs.