Convection Currents
Most of Earth's energy comes from the sun. Some of the energy gets absorbed but anything else we receive it as heat. The energy or heat that goes to earth's surface effects the heating of earth all around. Land can get warmer and cool faster than water, so it creates this unequal heating on earth which can cause wind currents, clouds, storms and weather. On land it gets warmer faster but above water its more cooler and as a result the cool air goes towards the land because it is less dense there. It creates an onshore breeze. When at night land cools off faster so the cool air rushes to the water creating an offshore breeze. The transfer of heat in a fluid is called convection.
Lab Activity
Setup A
In setup A we had the heated water cup placed below the middle area of the color dye. We saw the dye rise up then either go to the left or right to cool down and dense to go back down.
Setup B
We placed 2 heated water cups on the right and left ones of the dye. The dye went up then it stopped in the middle to cool down and go back down to the surface.
Setup C
This time we placed the cups on the middle and right areas of the dye and also placed a blue dyed ice cube at the left of the water container. We saw the blue dye go down to the surface the go to the right of the heated area and it got mixed up with the heated red dye. The red dye went up and went to the area of the ice cube.
In setup A we had the heated water cup placed below the middle area of the color dye. We saw the dye rise up then either go to the left or right to cool down and dense to go back down.
Setup B
We placed 2 heated water cups on the right and left ones of the dye. The dye went up then it stopped in the middle to cool down and go back down to the surface.
Setup C
This time we placed the cups on the middle and right areas of the dye and also placed a blue dyed ice cube at the left of the water container. We saw the blue dye go down to the surface the go to the right of the heated area and it got mixed up with the heated red dye. The red dye went up and went to the area of the ice cube.