The Drinking Bird as a Heat Engine

The drinking bird is a nice example of a heat engine. The evaporation of water at the bird’s beak results in a cooler temperature there than at its base (around the tail feather). In turn, this temperature difference causesĀ a pressure difference (high to low from base to beak) that causes the (very volatile) liquid to rise up, eventually toppling the bird forward causing it to “drink”.

The Drinking Bird

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