drinking bird
Bobbing desk toy
A drinking bird is a toy consisting of a glass bird filled with colored liquid, balanced on a pivot.
When the head is wetted, evaporation creates a pressure difference that tips the bird forward to "drink" from a glass of water, then rights itself to repeat the cycle indefinitely.
The device demonstrates thermodynamic principles through perpetual-seeming motion.
Science of heat-energy relationships
- evaporationLiquid turning to gas
- condensationVapor turning to liquid
- heat transferMovement of thermal energy
- vapor pressureEquilibrium gas-phase partial force
energy conversion · equilibrium · buoyancy · fluid dynamics · dichloromethane · felt · wicking · heat engine
Item kept on workspace
- executive toyOffice trinket for fiddling
- bobbingRhythmic vertical movement
- pendulumSuspended swinging weight
- oscillationRepeated back-and-forth movement
vintage · retro · classic toy · novelty item · conversation piece · office decor · science kit · collectible
Playfully fanciful or erratic
- quirkyIdiosyncratically unusual
- amusingCausing light laughter
- curiosityDesire to learn
- odditySomething unusual or unexpected
gimmick · fascination · wonder · entertainment · playful · humorous · lighthearted · delight
Public display of opinion
- science fairStudent experiment competition
- experimentSystematic investigation procedure
- teaching aidMaterial supporting instruction
- classroomEducational instruction space
instructional · learning · mechanism · principle · STEM · hands-on · illustration · explanation
thermodynamics
Science of heat-energy relationships
- evaporationLiquid turning to gas
- condensationVapor turning to liquid
- heat transferMovement of thermal energy
vapor pressure · energy conversion · equilibrium · buoyancy · fluid dynamics · dichloromethane · felt · wicking · heat engine · closed system
desk accessory
Item kept on workspace
- executive toyOffice trinket for fiddling
- bobbingRhythmic vertical movement
- pendulumSuspended swinging weight
oscillation · vintage · retro · classic toy · novelty item · conversation piece · office decor · science kit · collectible · gadget
whimsical
Playfully fanciful or erratic
oddity · gimmick · fascination · wonder · entertainment · playful · humorous · lighthearted · delight · conversation starter
demonstration
Public display of opinion
- science fairStudent experiment competition
- experimentSystematic investigation procedure
- teaching aidMaterial supporting instruction
classroom · instructional · learning · mechanism · principle · STEM · hands-on · illustration · explanation · model
- science toysNewton's cradle, gyroscope, plasma ball, prism, pendulum
- desk toysNewton's cradle, fidget spinner, stress ball, fidget cube, kinetic sand
- automatonsautomaton, automata, mechanical man, clockwork, mechanical turk
- tech gadgetsselfie stick, hoverboard, drone toy, smart ring, smart watch
- wind-up toyswind-up toy, wind-up car, chattering teeth, cymbal monkey, dancing figure
- balance toyswobble board, balance board, gyroscope
drinking birdwater pump
Device circulating liquid mechanically
drinking fountain · water filter · dehumidifier · irrigation system
drink, drinking, drinks, drank, drunk, drunken, drunkard, drinker, drinkers