Make-At-Home: The Revolving Serpent

By JESSICA AVERY
Programs Coordinator

Photo of the Long-Smith Cottage: Visit Sugar Land

In the 1860s, Thomas Jefferson Smith, his wife Julia, and their children called the Long-Smith Cottage home. During that time, people made do without many modern conveniences such as running water, air conditioning and electricity.

To help them see in the dark, many people depended on candles and kerosene, an oily, petroleum fuel, for their light source. Kerosene became an affordable and popular choice throughout the country because it provided three times the brightness of a candle flame.

While kerosene and candles provided light, the smoke they generated posed a unique challenge, as it would leave black marks on ceilings. Thus, many people created special devices like the "revolving serpent" that would fan away the smoke and "smoke bells" that would collect the soot.

​Now you can create you own spinning serpent and watch it spin around and around. But, just to be on the safe side, we suggest holding it over a lightbulb instead of a flame!
 
The Science Behind the Spin
So what makes the serpent spin? Well, that’s science! When air is heated, it expands as its molecules begin to spread out and away from each other. In turn, the hot air begins to rise and the cooler air sinks; however, once the cooler air reaches the heat source, the process will begin again.  The warm moving air spins the spiral serpent around and around. The cycle of moving air is called a convection current and these currents are all around us. They play a part in our weather, ocean temperatures and are even used to cook food in our ovens. 

Make It Yourself

​Materials

• Pencil
• Printable Snake or Paper (Here are two examples we found online that will work well to start with: Option #1 and Option #2)
• Scissors
• Thread, any color
• Ruler
• Needle
• Crayons or markers
• Glue
• Lamp (preferably with the shade off)

Photo: https://www.scribd.com/doc/30016429/Toy-Box

Directions 

1. Print out the revolving serpent or draw your own on a piece of paper.
2.  Color and decorate your serpent.
3. Cut out the serpent. When you finished you will have a spiral.
4. Cut a 1-foot piece of thread and thread the needle. Tie a knot at the end of the thread.  
5. Use the needle to make a hole through the serpent’s tail, and then pull the thread through until the knot stops it.
6. Take your thread off the needle and hold the snake up by the piece of thread. It should be hanging with the head pointing down. 
7. You can use extra scraps of paper to make eyes and a slithery tongue.
8. Turn on the lamp and hold the serpent a few inches above the electric light bulb. Be very careful that the serpent does not touch the lightbulb. The heat from the bulb will make the serpent slowly spin around.