Brain Teasers
The Kite
Science
Science brain teasers require understanding of the physical or biological world and the laws that govern it.Science
Frank wants to go to the beach to try out his new kite. Unfortunately, it is very delicate, and made of thin paper that is easily waterlogged. He wants to go fly it at a time when it won't fly over the sea and run the risk of dropping into it, getting wet, and being destroyed.
Should he fly it in the morning or night?
Should he fly it in the morning or night?
Answer
Frank should fly it after sunset.The sand of the beach has a lower heat capacity than the water in the ocean. Therefore, it cools faster when the sun sets. As a result, the air above it cools as well. The hot air over the still-warm sea, however, rises, and the cool air over the shore takes its place. This creates a breeze outward to the sea lower down, but higher up, where the kite would fly, the breeze would come inward, toward shore, completing the convection cell.
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Comments
Splendid teaser! I used to live by the Great lakes and so I noticed this effect growing up, and I like your teaser because it requires experience or a knowledge of science, and yet isn't overly recondite. Thanks!
convection cell? ...brain... hurting...
It is fun to fly kites at night. You dont even see them most of the time
Mar 08, 2004
Apparently bbngk has never enjoyed flying a kite by moonlight on a summer night. You're missing out, bbngk. And Rows, I think it is recondite of you to use the word recondite in a comment, you mook! Fun teaser!
good one!
whoa! that's pretty nifty!
I knew that!
(realy, i did!)
(realy, i did!)
wow i cant believe i knew that we just learned that in science class
this teaser sucks, he could have just flown it farther away from the ocean...
I think I learned this a zillion years ago or something(to be exact, third grade or so) during science class BTW. NEway, I still think it's pretty scientific!
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