Tea Bag Flying Ghosts

To replicate this experiment, take a tea bag and cut off the end with the string/staple. Next, empty out the tea and place the bag standing upright on a heat-safe plate. Next, light the top of the tea bag with a lighter. Watch the bag fly in the air!

As the flame burns the tea bag, air is heated into the hollow center. As the air gets hotter and hotter, molecules become less dense and begin moving around more rapidly. Less dense air (warmer air) rises above more dense air (cooler air). The result is the tea bag lifting off of the plate!

For a fun Halloween activity, draw a ghost face on a tea bag before sending it into flight!