Ward's® Exploring Convection Currents Lab Activity

Students experiment with circulation in air and water with this lab activity.

The lab explores the concept of convention and relates it to the circulation patterns in the atmosphere and oceans. Ocean density currents are influenced by temperature and by salinity. By mixing warm and cold water, or salt water and fresh water, which are dyed for visibility, students can easily see convection currents form. They can also model the development of wind due to convection.

The lab comes with a teacher’s guide, student copy masters, and all necessary material for five setups.