Colorado State University

Here on Earth where Amplify is located, gravity pulls objects down towards the ground. This month, we explore how to keep the objects up in the air.

There are a couple of different physics-related phenomena going on here:

Buoyancy

When the black bag is placed in the sun, air expands and a buoyant force makes the bag float, just like a hot air balloon!

Lift

When moving air hits an object, the can be deflected downwards. According to Newton’s 3rd Law, this creates an equal and opposite force which pushes the object upwards. This is similar to how an airplane flies!