Ancient Technology: Clay Water Pitcher (How it works)

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This is a very simple clay water pitcher. Ancient people were used it to cool water, beer and other drinks as well as carrying them. But how can this simple clay jug cool drinks?

It’s all about the process of evaporation. In order to evaporate of water, heat is needed to be given. If a surface is hot and some water is poured on this surface, water molecules getting warmer, in other words, their kinetic energy increase since heat is a form of energy. Because of this, they move faster. If enough amount of heat is given, faster water molecules get over of other water molecules’ attraction and leave liquid form, we simply say they evaporate. Because of water molecules take heat from the surface, the surface becomes cooler. It’s like when a piece of heated iron, put in a bucket of water. Eventually some water evaporate and iron becomes cooler.

If we take a closer look to surface of clay water pitcher, we can see pores. Water in clay pitcher can move to outside through these pores. Water that moved to surface begins to evaporate and cools the surface. So clay water pitcher becomes cooler, therefore water in pitcher also becomes cooler.

Let’s test it. We have a clay water pitcher and a regular water jug. They were filled at the same time, about 24 hours ago. First of all, if we check water pitcher’s surface, its color changed after filling it with water. That means water came out to surface through pores, but it doesn’t feel wet, water flow is so slow, just a tiny water layer builds up on the surface. Therefore you don’t lose water significantly.

Let’s first measure environment’s temperature. It’s summer and temperature is about 27C, 80 Fahrenheit. Then if we measure temperature of water in water jug(2), we see its temperature is 22 C about 60. Fahrenheit. If we measure temperature of water in clay water pitcher(2), we see its temperature is 17 C, about 55 Fahrenheit. As you can see there is 5 C, 25 Fahrenheit difference.

It’s very effective way to cool water by using water. Thanks our ancestors to always try something new and never give up.

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