The drinking bird and the scientific method

Abstract

The "drinking bird" can provide a puzzling phenomenon that can be used as a model to illustrate the basic process of a scientific investigation.

Toys in the Classroom

“…Another favorite toy of chemistry teachers is the Drinking Bird (also called the Happy Drinking Bird, Dippy Bird, etc.). This novelty item, along with the hand "boiler" described in the final section, nicely illustrate vapor pressure and related concepts (6)(7)(8)(9)(10). Both need to be handled carefully since the glass is very thin and can break.…”

A discourse on the drinking bird

“…As a consequence, the temperature inside the top chamber falls. This leads to (1) lowering of the pressure in the top chamber, (2) As the evaporation from the beak proceeds, the pressure in the top chamber continues to fall and the liquid column continues to rise. The rise in the liquid column is arrested by the bird tipping when its center of gravity, which rises as the liquid column rises, falls outside the stem.…”

Thermochemistry, dilithium crystals, and Star Trek

“…Purists would say "starship" instead of "spaceship" 2. The usual convention is that a positive electron affinity represents an energy release upon electron capture.…”