Can a Car Fly with the Power of Water

By: Pase Osmanovic

ENGL 21007

Date: 2/23/2024

Abstract

          This experiment focuses on finding out if a car can fly with the power of water. By using water from a source, hoses, PVC pipes, a to-scale model car, the MythBusters team was able to show if this hypothesis was true. After testing this out with the to scale model car, the result was that yes it was able to make a small model car fly but unfortunately it is impossible to make a 3175 lb. car fly with just water.

Introduction

          Water pressure determines the flow of water from the source whether it be a fire hydrant or from a sink tap. The higher, stronger the pressure is, the stronger the water can be. With this information, water can essentially push a lot of nature’s things, do a lot of damage. We see how firetrucks have water hoses that have a lot of water pressure in sense of needing to blow out massive fires. We know the history of water erosion; water is so strong it can break apart rocks and land because of the extreme amounts of water pressure. However, is there enough water pressure in a fire hydrant to be able to push a small-scale car flying upwards as well as later possibly making a 3175 lb. car upwards, making the car fly?

The hypothesis that led to the experiment being conducted is that while water can make a small-scale plastic/wood car “fly”, it cannot make a 3175+lb car fly. Because the water is going through hoses, it can dial down the water pressure making it much weaker. One of the hypotheses based on this experiment is that water can make a small wood/plastic car fly. The second hypothesis, which is water cannot make a real-life car fly, is entirely based on the findings of the first hypothesis. Using a small-scale car before even considering to conduct this experiment a second time with a big car is not only the safer option to do at first but if you can disprove your hypothesis or prove it, then you would know if your second hypothesis would be true or not.

Methods and Materials

          The specific materials needed for this experiment are:

•  A scale model car made of wood or plastic.
•  9 or more water hoses
• PVC pipes  
• A water source, fire hydrant to be more specific.
• Small plastic platform for the model car to go on.

Now you want to connect the pvc pipes with one pvc for where your water source will go through. Now after setting this up, you want to build a small platform out of any material you have for where your car will go on top of and where your hoses will be. After building your PVC model as well as your platform for the car, connect your hose to the water source, in this case the fire hydrant as well as connecting it to the PVC pipes. Then you want to connect it to the platform where your model car is. An image of this set up is shown below.

Results

          After allowing the water to flow through, the water shot up under the car with a lot of force. The water pressure started getting even stronger by the second. At first, the car started moving around but not yet actually “flying up”. However, after a few seconds the left side started lifting allowing the right side to also start moving up. After a few seconds, the small-scale car was “flying” with the power of water, flying up to 1-3 inches above the ground as shown in the image below.

Discussion

          Based on the findings, especially with the way the car only flew up 1-3 inches off the ground, the hypothesis of a 3175+lb car is demolished completely. It took a bit of pushing the small-scale car after it wasn’t going up to get it going. If this was just with the small car, an actual car wouldn’t be able to sustain being pushed upwards by the power of water. Using this small-scale car did the first hypothesis right, that water would be powerful enough to make the small-scale car fly.

Although, this calls for some limitations to happen with regards to how the experiment was done. Not using a strong enough water source as the experiment calls for gives you a weaker water pressure source which gives false results. Even with using the PVC pipes as shown in the setup images, water can not flow through one of the pipes, ultimately giving you more false results.

          The second hypothesis of making a 3175+lb car fly is 98% proven wrong as you would need the water hoses to give out at least 300lbs of water thrust; water pressure to be able to even make it remotely move. Now there also must be more than 12 water hoses pushing out this water, any less, and there’s no way it can be done. Even with the small-scale car, any less than 9 water hoses and it wouldn’t be able to move upwards from just the water alone. Even if the water starts to flow under the car, the math behind the whole hypothesis doesn’t make sense as it’s talked about throughout the experiment, especially from experienced professionals. Especially based on the results and findings of how the small model car just barely moved and needed to be given a slight nudge/fix, there wouldn’t be any possible way of getting a 3175 lb. real to scale car to move.

Conclusion

          Overall, this experiment did show that with the right materials, a small-scale car can fly with the power of water. However, compared to an actual 3175+lb car, it is semi unlikely that water can just so easily make it move slightly let alone “fly” upwards. With further experiments, it could be likely that the small-scale car can go even higher with the same setup and more water pressure. Conducting this experiment can show just how powerful water pressure can be, giving proof to the many hypotheses of can water move a certain object. It also shows how you can’t trust a video of a car flying with just water as that is a myth based on the results of this experiment.

References

“Can a Car Fly with the Power of Water? | MythBusters.” YouTube, YouTube, 26 Oct. 2023,

www.youtube.com/watch?v=WMmfqrbjhc8&pp=ygUlY2FuIGEgY2FyIGZseSB3aXRoIHRoZSBwb3dlciBvZiB3YXRlcg%3D%3D.