Teabag Rocket Activity - Hot Air Rises

This video shows a classroom experiment to demonstrate that hot air rises. Many weather systems, including land and sea breeze and hurricanes, are the result of hot air rising. To illustrate, Dr Sylvia Knight shows you a simple practical demonstration using a teabag, matches and a heatproof tile that you can try for yourself. Ideal for Geography Key stage 3.

If you’d like to complete this experiment, please be aware of the potential fire risk and take care when using the matches. We recommend you complete the experiment well away from flammable materials, within a room with a high ceiling.

This short video clip has been made available by the University of Reading and comes from our successful Come Rain Or Shine Open: Understanding the Weather. A free online course developed with the Royal Meteorological Society available from FutureLearn.

Visit futurelearn .com site and search ‘come rain or shine’ for the full course (free without certificates option available).

The University of Reading Recruitment and Outreach team offers a huge range of free events, programmes and activities for students to give them all the information they need about higher education and to enhance their subject knowledge and experience. Visit our website for more details.