Smoke rings!

You can do science at home!

You can make some...

Get a plastic cup, balloon, scissors and matches... yep, that's all!

Then cut a hole at the bottom of the cup, like that in the following drawing. Cut the top of the balloon and stretch it over the top of the cup so that it is flat. You're done! You can now start making some smoke rings!

End product

Safety warning: the next steps involve using matches so if you are young please get an adult to supervise you and most importantly beware of the heat of the flame and the fact that it can burn. Also make sure you are in a well ventilated room. 

So, now light a match and blow it out then place the match or a candle inside your smoke-ring-maker via the hole you made so that it is filled with smoke and then tap the balloon and see smoke rings form! (If you can get a hold of some dry ice then this is an added bonus! Put some water inside the cup and a bit of dry ice and you'll be making smoke rings with ease!)

Smoke rings!

Smokey Science

Your smoke-ring-maker in sciency terms is known as a VORTEX GENERATOR! (Your friends will be impressed by your knowledge with that term!) When you tap the balloon you cause a bit of air to shoot out of the hole. But the air in the middle of the hole is travelling faster than the air near the edges due to it slowing down by rubbing the sides so something called a vortex is formed - where air travels in a circle to make a ring. 

Vortex rings inside you!

Vortex rings are also formed in your heart! You can think of the hole in the bottom of the cup as a valve in your heart and as blood goes through the valve (the hole) the blood near the sides slows down while the rest in the center travels without slowing down and the vortex ring is formed!