Plume (fluid dynamics)

Imagine you have a cup of hot chocolate and you want to blow on it to make it cooler. As you blow, you'll see steam rise up in the air. This steam is called a plume.

In science, a plume is a column of fluid (like air or water) that rises up due to some kind of force. The force could be something like heat or pressure.

Plumes happen in a lot of different places. For example, when a volcano erupts, hot magma (molten rock) rises up and creates a plume of ash and gas. Or, when a rocket launches, burning fuel creates a plume of hot gas that propels the rocket upwards.

Scientists study plumes to learn more about fluid dynamics, which is basically the study of how fluids move. By understanding how plumes behave, scientists can make predictions about things like weather patterns, pollution, and even the spread of disease.

So the next time you see steam rising from your hot chocolate, you can impress your friends by telling them that it's a plume!