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Grades K–2 · Everyday Life

How does a funnel guide water into a bottle?

A funnel has a wide opening at the top and a narrow tube below. Its sloping sides guide water toward that tube. The tube can reach into a bottle opening that is much smaller than the funnel’s top.

T006 visual explanationA wide inlet guides water to a narrow route; water down; air out; Air needs an exit as water occupies more of the bottle.A wide inlet guides water to a narrow routewater downair outAir needs an exit as water occupies more of the bottle.

In the diagramA wide inlet guides water to a narrow routewater downair outAir needs an exit as water occupies more of the bottle.

Water follows the funnel into the bottle while displaced air leaves through a separate gap. The funnel guides flow without increasing the outlet’s capacity without limit.

Gravity helps the water move downward. The funnel collects the water into one route, but it cannot make water disappear faster than the narrow route can carry it. If water arrives too quickly, it can collect at the top.

A bottle already contains air. As water fills the bottle, that air needs a route out. A gap beside the funnel tube can provide one. If the opening is tightly sealed, trapped air can make filling slow or uneven.

About this explanation

Starting knowledge: Recognize a wide opening, a narrow opening and water moving downward.

Sources

  • Exploratorium — Learning Studio: Vortex, water flow and air exchange
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