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Air Pressure Demonstration – Drinks Dispenser

February 24, 2019 By Emma Vanstone Leave a Comment

This easy activity is super simple and great for learning about air pressure with a practical use as well!

What is air pressure?

Air and its particles are crashing into us all the time. What we call air pressure is the force of these particles hitting a surface.

When you suck a straw you reduce the pressure inside the straw, making the pressure outside the straw acting on the liquid greater than the pressure inside the straw. This pushes the liquid up the straw, allowing you to drink it!

For this air pressure experiment you’ll need

Peg – optional, but helpful

Plastic bottle – I used a 750ml bottle

Plasticine or putty

Plastic Straw

Small container

How to make an air pressure drinks dispenser

Carefully make a small hole about half way up the bottle and push the straw through the bottle leaving ⅓ to ½ on the outside.

Fill the bottle about three quarters full of water.

Blow up the balloon, twist and seal the neck with a peg. Carefully place the end of the balloon on the bottle neck and place a glass under the straw.

When you’re ready remove the peg and watch as the water shoots out of the straw into the glass!

Be careful as it might shoot out further than you expect.

Why does this happen?

Air presses down equally on the water in the bottle and in the straw when there is no balloon present ( or the balloon is pegged ) but when the peg is removed, air from the balloon increases the air pressure in the bottle which pushes down on the water, forcing it through the straw.

More Air Pressure Experiments

Demonstrate the Bernoulli Principle with this easy demonstration using a plastic bottle and ball of paper.

Suck a boiled egg into a jar without touching it.

Build and launch a bottle rocket !

Last Updated on November 18, 2021 by Emma Vanstone

Safety Notice

Science Sparks ( Wild Sparks Enterprises Ltd ) are not liable for the actions of activity of any person who uses the information in this resource or in any of the suggested further resources. Science Sparks assume no liability with regard to injuries or damage to property that may occur as a result of using the information and carrying out the practical activities contained in this resource or in any of the suggested further resources.

These activities are designed to be carried out by children working with a parent, guardian or other appropriate adult. The adult involved is fully responsible for ensuring that the activities are carried out safely.

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Air Pressure Experiment

A visual experiment to demonstrate air pressure.

Posted by Admin / in Matter Experiments

This experiment helps to show kids the power of air pressure by using temperature change to change the density of air. This is an very easy air pressure experiment and only requires a few common supplies to get started.

Materials Needed

• 2 clear water bottles with caps
• Refrigerator

EXPERIMENT STEPS

Step 1: Peel the labels off each water bottle so kids can see what is happening inside the bottles during the experiment.

Step 2: Fill one water bottle with cool water.

Step 3: Fill the second water bottle with hot water. Use hot pads, if needed, to avoid burning hands. Hot tap water works fine.

Step 4: Put the lids on the bottles and shake until the temperature of the plastic is consistent with the water inside the bottle.

Step 5: Remove the bottle caps and pour the water down the drain.

Step 6: Quickly screw the bottle caps back on the water bottles.

Step 7: Place both bottles inside of the refrigerator.

Step 8 : Wait about 5 minutes and open the refrigerator door and remove the bottles. Look at the shape of the bottles now.

SCIENCE LEARNED

The two water bottles behave completely differently after being placed inside the cold environment of a refrigerator. Nothing happens to the water bottle that was rinsed with cold water before being placed inside the refrigerator. The bottle that was heated by hot water, however, was crushed after being placed inside the cold refrigerator. Why?

The air inside the bottle which was heated with hot water expanded from the higher temperature. The expanded air was then sealed inside the bottle when the cap was tightened on the bottle. As soon as the air inside the hot bottle began to cool, negative air pressure was created as the air inside the bottle began to cool and contract. Placing the bottle inside the refrigerator amplified this result even greater. The air pressure difference between the air outside the bottle and inside the bottle was great enough to pull in the sides of the plastic bottle, crushing the bottle.

You can try to perform this experiment in reverse, by pouring hot water over the bottle to try to get the bottle to expand back to its original shape. This works to some degree, but is difficult because a lot of hot water is needed to heat the air inside the bottle enough. The plastic bottle acts like an insulator, but it will work if enough heat energy is added to bring the temperature of the air back up to the pre-refrigerated level.

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Under Pressure! 10 At-Home Science Experiments That Harness Air

If the at-home orders have you scrambling for indoor activities , we’ve got easy science experiments you can pull out at a moment’s notice from the comfort of your home. Each kids science experiment reveals air’s invisible power, and (usually) uses what you’ve got in the recycling bin to demonstrate it. Read on to learn how to levitate water, submerge tissues without getting them wet and suck an egg into a jug using only a match.

Keep it Simple

Thankfully, science experiments don't have to be super complex or time consuming. These easy-peasy experiments only require a little prep and leave a big impression on tiny minds. Plus, we’re betting most of what you need to test these theories is already lying around your house.

1. Sink or Swim. Instead of bobbing for apples, your tiny tot will make straws dive and surface with a gentle squeeze. The Kids Activities Blog  lays out the important deets for this hands-on experiment that uses a two-liter bottle and play dough to fully certify straws as scuba-ready. Take the dive into serious science with this one!

Why it works: Squeezing the bottle increases the air pressure inside the bottle and forces water up into the straw, which makes it heavy enough to sink.

2. Blow Their Minds . Bet your cutie a clean room that she can’t blow a rolled up piece of paper towel into an empty bottle. Sounds like a safe bet, right? But thanks to air pressure, the cards are definitely stacked in your favor. To set up the experiment, place an empty two-liter bottle on its side. Ball up the corner of a paper towel that’s about half the size of the bottle’s top and place it just inside the opening then challenge your little scientist to blow the paper towel into the bottle (Trust us, it can’t be done). No matter how hard she tries, she’s not going to win that bet. Learning plus a clean room? We’ll take it!

Why it works: Even though you can’t see it, that bottle is full of air; when you try to blow something into it, there’s just no room.

3. Be Unpredictable. Two balloons, a yardstick, string, and a hairdryer are all you need for this experiment that will keep your mini me guessing. To get things moving in the right direction, blow up the balloons to the same size and then use the string to attach them, a few inches apart, to the yardstick. Once you’re all set up, ask your kidlet what will happen to the balloons when you aim air from the hair dryer between the two balloons. The obvious answer? They’ll be blown apart. But once your wee one takes aim, she’ll see that the balloons are actually pushed together rather than apart. Who knew?

Why it works: Blowing air between the balloons lowers the air pressure and makes the pressure surrounding them higher, pushing them together.

4. Levitate Water . You won’t need to incant Wingardium Leviosa with perfect pronunciation to suspend water during this exciting experiment. Start by filling a glass of water about 1/3 full, then cover it with a piece of cardstock. Tip the glass over, keeping the cardstock in place with your hand, and hold the whole shebang over your unsuspecting kidlet’s head (or a sink if you want to do a test run first!). Then slowly let go of the cardstock while your mini me waits excitedly below. Look ma, no splash! The card stays in place and your little guinea pig stays dry.

Why it works : The outside air pressure working against the cardstock is greater than the weight of the water in the glass.

5. Grab a Tissue. To be wet or not to be wet is the question answered in this simple experiment full of drama. To set the scene, loosely crumple a tissue so that when you stick it in a small glass and turn it over the tissue doesn’t fall out. Then, have your little lab assistant fill a bowl with water, turn the glass over and submerge it completely (psst… keep the glass parallel to the water to make the experiment work). Ta da! The tissue stays dry even when it’s below the water line.

Why it works: The air pressure inside the glass is strong enough to keep the water out and the tissue dry.

Complicate Matters

Get mom or dad in on the action with these experiments that take a little more time and some helping hands to demonstrate just how powerful air pressure can be.

6. Blast Off. Nothing makes air pressure more tangible than a classic bottle rocket  launched on a sunny summer afternoon. You and your sidekick can spend time fashioning a plastic bottle into a space-worthy vessel with a cone top and flamboyant fins on the side. Then, hook it up to the air pump and let her rip! Up, up and away! Science Sparks has simple instructions you can use (and even a cool video!) to make one with your budding scientist.

Why it works: Pumping air into the bottle builds up pressure until you just can’t add any more and all that force sends the rocket flying.

7. Make Eggs Magical. This “look ma, no hands, wires or mirrors” trick will get them every time; an egg being sucked into a jar while your little scientist delightedly looks on is always a hit. To perform this illusory feat, you’ll need a glass jar with an opening just smaller than an egg (think: old school milk jug) and a peeled, boiled egg. When you and your Little have checked these items off your list, it’s time to start the show. Mom or dad should toss a lit match into the glass jar, followed by your mini lab assistant, who’ll quickly set the egg over the opening. Abracadabra! Alakazam! The match dies out; the egg gets (seemingly) inexplicably sucked into the bottle. And just like that you’ve performed another bit of parent magic without breaking a sweat.

Why it works: The match uses up the air inside the bottle. Once that happens the pressure outside the bottle is greater and pushes the egg down into the bottle.

8. Build a Barometer. The invisible air pressure around us is always changing, but try explaining that to the tot lot. We've found a seeing-is-believing DIY barometer experiment to turn the tides for your tiny skeptic. Not only will you reveal ever-changing air pressure, but you can also predict any summer storms heading your way. Get all you need to know about making your own version using a screw-top jar, rubber bands and a straw at Wonderful Engineering .

Why it works: When the air pressure is high, it pushes down on the straw tilting it up, and when it’s low, pressure inside the jar pushes up against the straw pointing it down.

9. Inflate Marshmallows. Put those marshmallows you’re stockpiling for summer s’mores to good use in this DIY vacuum experiment. To make the vacuum, use a hammer and nail to pierce a hole (big enough to fit a straw) into the lid of a screw-top glass jar. Next, stick a straw ever-so-slightly into the hole and seal the edges with play dough or molding clay so there’s no way for the air to get out other than through that straw. Now you’re ready to see what happens to a marshmallow when it’s trapped inside; place the marshmallow in the jar, screw the top back on, and have your mini me take the air out gulp by gulp through the straw (just be sure to cover the straw hole between breaths so no air makes it back in). As the air is removed, the marshmallow expands, like a nightmare vision straight out of Ghostbusters . Who you gonna call?

Why it works : When you use a straw to remove all the air from the jar, there’s no air left working against the marshmallow. Instead, the air trapped inside the marshmallow is able to expand.

10. Pit Balloons Against Bottles. Is your future scientist ready for another challenge? Just like blowing a paper towel into a jug, this science experiment from Steve Spangler Science  is oh-so-much harder than it looks. To entice your little experimenter, place an un-inflated balloon into an empty plastic bottle and ask him if he thinks he can blow it up. Easy right? But no matter how hard he tries, that balloon just won’t fill with air! The trick to inflating the balloon  is a simple one that takes mom or dad’s helping hand and just like that, what was once impossible becomes possible!

Why it works: At first, the bottle is full of air so there’s no room for the balloon to expand when you try to blow it up. But when you try this experiment after the trick, there’s an escape route for the air inside the bottle, leaving room for the balloon to inflate.

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Date Published:

Nov 22, 2010

Aurora Lipper

This story was updated on 10/11/2022.

Note: when conducting at-home science experiments with children, an adult should always be present. Even the simplest experiments have the potential to go wrong.

The ordinary pressure of the air surrounding us is 14.7 pounds per square inch—but this can change based on a few factors, such as when the wind blows or a car or airplane accelerates. Wherever the air pressure is higher, there will be a stronger force or push against an object. Similarly, when an air particle speeds up, it actually “pushes” less.

Imagine that fast-moving air particles are in so much of a hurry that they don’t have time to apply force—this is the principle used to make airplanes fly. When a plane moves along the runway, the air above the wing speeds up, lowering the pressure so that the air below the wing can push the plane upward.

Interested in testing out these principles in a more tangible way? Try one or more of the following experiments:

Water Glass Trick

Step 1: Fill a cup one-third with water.

Step 2: Cover the entire mouth of the cup with an index card.

Step 3: Holding the card in place, take the cup to the sink and turn it upside down.

Step 4: Remove your hand from underneath.

Voilà! Because the water inside the cup is lighter than the air outside, the card is held in place. This is due to about 15 pounds of force from the air pushing up, while the force of the water pushing down is only about one pound of force.

Fountain Bottle

Step 1: Fill a 2-liter soda bottle half full of water.

Step 2: Take a long straw and insert it into the mouth of the bottle.

Step 3: Wrap a lump of clay around the straw to form a seal.

Step 4: Blow hard into the straw—then stand back.

When you blow into the straw, you’re increasing the air pressure inside the sealed bottle. This higher pressure pushes on the water, forcing it up and out of the straw.

Ping-Pong Funnel

Step 1: Put a ping-pong ball inside the wide part of a funnel.

Step 2: Blow hard into the narrow end of the funnel.

Step 3: You’ll notice that the ball doesn’t pop out of the funnel—but why?

This is because as you blow into the funnel, the air moves faster and lowers the air pressure underneath the ball. Because the air pressure is higher above the ball than below it, it’s pushed down into the funnel—no matter how hard you blow or in which direction you point the funnel.

The Million Dollar Bet

Step 1: Place an empty water or soda bottle down horizontally on a table.

Step 2: Roll a piece of paper towel into a small ball about half the size of the bottle opening.

Step 3: Tell a friend you’ll pay them one million dollars if they can blow the ball into the bottle.

Don’t worry about losing money—because this is impossible. No matter how hard someone tries to force more air into the bottle, there's no room for it. The air will flow right out, pushing away the paper ball.

Kissing Balloons

Step 1: Blow up two balloons and attach a piece of string to each.

Step 2: Place one balloon in each hand, holding them by the string.

Step 3: Position the two balloons so they are at your nose level and six inches apart.

Step 4: Blow hard into the space between the balloons.

As you lower the air pressure in that space between the balloons, the pressure of the surrounding air becomes higher. This automatically pushes the balloons together, causing them to “kiss.”

[Adapted from “Top Ten Air Pressure Experiments to Mystify Your Kids-Using Stuff From Around the House,” by Aurora Lipper, for Mechanical Engineering , January 2008.] Read More: How to Mentor Young Engineers Experiential Learning and Cooperative Education Pay Off Engineering Education, Family Style

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Balloon and Jar Air Pressure Experiment

by Science Explorers | Mar 29, 2021 | Blog | 0 comments

Air pressure experiments for children are a fun way to introduce kids to a new scientific concept. Kids and adults alike have a blast with this balloon and jar air pressure experiment. The experiment shows children what happens when the air pressure inside a jar changes by using just a few materials. It’s the perfect lesson for elementary school-age children with adult supervision.

Learn more about our virtual and in-person science camps!

What You’ll Need

To perform the experiment, you’ll need:

• Water balloon.
• Piece of paper.

Safety Note

This experiment uses fire. Children must be supervised and should not perform the experiment on their own.

How to Conduct the Experiment

Follow these instructions to suck a water balloon into a jar using air pressure:

• Fill the balloon:   Fill the water balloon until it’s slightly wider than the neck of the jar and tie the balloon.
• Place the balloon on the jar:   Place the jar on a flat surface and rest the balloon on top of the open jar.
• Demonstrate with the water balloon:   Help the kids push down slightly on the balloon to show them it won’t fit inside the jar.
• Remove balloon:   After demonstrating, remove the balloon from the container.
• Get your matches:   Light a piece of paper with a match and drop it in the jar.
• Place the balloon again:   When the fire starts to grow, place the balloon back over the mouth of the jar.
• Watch the reactions:   Observe what happens to the balloon and the fire. The balloon will begin to shake, and the fire will be extinguished as the balloon is sucked into the jar. The balloon will be sucked about halfway into the container.
• Let the kids try:   Once the fire has died and the jar has cooled, have the children try to remove the balloon. It will be a little challenging!
• Safely remove the balloon:   To remove the water balloon from the jar, start by turning the jar sideways. Place your finger between the container and the balloon to release the suction. The balloon should come out easily after that.

Children will love doing this experiment over and over. To make this air pressure experiment even more fun for kids, let each child pick a balloon to decorate before you fill it with water. This allows children to observe any differences between how the balloons behave, such as which balloon was most difficult to remove and which one worked best.

The Science Behind the Experiment

This experiment is all about air pressure. When you first place the filled balloon atop the jar, air pressure prevents you from pushing it inside. The air trapped inside the jar has nowhere to go, since the balloon covers the opening. At this point, the air pressure within the jar is the same as the air pressure outside it, making it impossible to fit the balloon in.

But when you add the lit piece of paper to the jar, things change. The burning paper causes the air inside the jar to heat up and expand. As the fire grows, the air in the jar will start escaping around the sides of the balloon. When the balloon begins shaking that’s how you know the air is escaping.

The balloon acts as a one-way valve, allowing air within the jar to escape but preventing new air from entering. With less air in the jar, the air pressure drops. At this point, the air pressure within the jar is lower than outside it, which causes the balloon to get sucked in.

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Balloon in a Bottle Experiment

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This super easy and fun experiment is a great and safe way for kids and curious adults to learn about air pressure and how it affects everything from balloons to the weather around us. Let’s jump in and learn together with this Balloon in a Bottle Experiment.

Check out more fun and simple Plastic Bottle Experiments right here!

The best thing about this experiment is that you should be able to round up a few simple materials around your house to do it!

Table of Contents

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Supplies Needed:

• 1 Large balloon
• A plastic bottle
• A needle or pi n

How to get a balloon in a bottle

• Connect a large balloon to the opening of a clear, empty plastic bottle
• Push the deflated balloon into the bottle
• Try to inflate the balloon inside the bottle and see what happens
• Now use a needle or pin to poke a few small holes very close together on the bottle
• Repeat step 3 by trying to inflate the balloon inside the bottle.
• When the balloon has inflated inside the bottle, put your finger over the holes in the bottle, and observe what happens.

Step 1: Slide the mouth of a large balloon over the opening of a plastic bottle

Depending on what size of plastic bottle you have on hand for this experiment will determine what size of balloon you should use. I prefer to use a clean and empty 2-liter plastic bottle with a fairly large balloon.

These are the balloons like I like to use from Amazon . You can also use smaller balloons with a smaller water bottle, Gatorade bottle, or 20 oz soda bottle for this experiment as well.

The larger balloons just tend to work better and are much easier to stretch to fit over the opening of the plastic bottle.

Step 2: Push the deflated balloon into the bottle

Once you have connected your balloon to the bottle, go ahead and push the balloon into the bottle. You should be able to use your finger to do this, but if you have a large balloon and large bottle you might want to use the end of a wooden spoon or dowel to push the balloon inside.

Step 3: Use your hot air and try to inflate the balloon inside the bottle

Now it’s time for the hard part of blowing up the balloon inside the bottle! It seems like a pretty easy task to put the bottle up to your mouth and blow the balloon up inside the bottle right!?

Well if your lung capacity is anything like mine, you will find that inflating a balloon inside a bottle is a very very difficult and nearly impossible thing to do!

The difficulty of inflating a balloon in a bottle is thanks to the air inside the bottle not having an escape route to make room for the growing balloon. But there is a little trick we can do to help that air escape and the balloon to inflate!

Step 4: Grab a needle or a sharp pin to poke some holes in the bottle

Now that we have learned that it is pretty much impossible to inflate a balloon inside a bottle without a way for the existing air to escape, its time to create an escape route for that air in the bottle!

If children are participating in this experiment, please make sure to have an adult supervising while using the poky and sharp needles and pins for this step. Then go ahead and carefully poke a few very small holes close together on the bottle.

You will want to poke 4 or 5 holes in the bottle with a sharp needle, thumbtack, or sewing pin. Make sure the holes are very close together and in a location on the bottle that you can easily cover with your finger when holding the bottle.

Step 5: Try to inflate the balloon inside the bottle again

Repeat Step 3 and try to inflate the balloon inside the bottle now that you have put a few holes in the bottle. What happens!!!?

You should have a much easier time using the air in your lungs to inflate the balloon inside the bottle now that the air inside the bottle can escape as the balloon expands!

Step 6: Block the holes in the bottle with your finger while removing your mouth from the balloon

This is the coolest part of this balloon in a bottle experiment! While the balloon is still blown-up inside your bottle, slide your finger over the small holes you poked in the bottle. Then take your mouth off the end of the balloon and watch what happens!

You would expect the air inside the balloon to rush out of the opening of the bottle where the balloon is attached, but instead, the balloon somehow stays inflated inside the bottle!

The balloon will stay inflated inside the bottle as long as the holes on the side of the bottle remain plugged with your finger. If you remove your finger from the holes in the bottle, the increasing air pressure inside the bottle will then cause the balloon to deflate again.

Air pressure experiment with water bottle and balloon explanation

The fascinating science behind this balloon in a bottle experiment all depends on something we can’t see…air pressure! That’s right! The difference between the air pressure inside the bottle compared to the air pressure outside the bottle is what makes this experiment possible.

Let’s break this air pressure concept down a little bit further. In the wonderful world of weather high pressure always flows towards low pressure. This is why air is pushed out and away from a high-pressure weather system and the air is pulled in and towards a low-pressure system.

When relating this air pressure concept to this ballon in a bottle experiment we can visually see this process working thanks to the balloon inflating and deflating depending on the air pressure.

At first it is nearly impossible to inflate the balloon inside the bottle because the air inside the bottle is taking up too much space for the balloon to expand. When a few small holes are made in the bottle it lets the air escape and the air pressure drops.

The lower pressure created inside the bottle then allows the air with a higher pressure inside the balloon to expand and fill the empty space in the bottle.

Once the balloon is inflated inside the bottle, it will stay inflated if you cover the holes on the side of the bottle and release your mouth from the balloon thanks to a process called equilibrium pressure .

Equilibrium pressure occurs when the air pressure on the outside of the bottle is trying to become equal to the air pressure inside the bottle. Since the pressure in the bottle is now lower than outside the bottle, the higher pressure air on the outside will try to get inside the bottle.

If the holes on the side of the bottle are still plugged, then the only way for air to get into the bottle is through the opening of the bottle and into the balloon. This air pushing into the balloon trying to get into the bottle will keep it inflated.

Eventually, when you release your finger from the holes in the side of the bottle, the higher pressure on the outside with rush into the bottle. This will balance the air pressure inside the bottle and in the balloon and the balloon with naturally deflate.

How does air pressure influence cloud development?

Did you know we can also witness air pressure changes happening on a daily basis when we look in the sky and see clouds forming!? The higher a cloud gets in the sky, the lower the air pressure is surrounding it and the cloud will continue to grow and expand.

Check out this awesome experiment 3 Easy Ways To Make a Cloud in a Bottle if you want to make your own clouds and learn more about how clouds are formed!

If a cloud is in an environment of high-pressure, then the air pressure around the cloud will be higher than within the cloud and the cloud will actually shrink and eventually vanish.

This is the same reason why when you see a high-pressure symbol on a weather map you can usually expect sunny and clear skies, but when you see a low-pressure moving your way you better get ready for stormy, cloudy weather!

More Fun and Educational Science Experiments for Kids:

• Egg In a Bottle Experiment
• How To Make A Cloud In A Water Bottle
• Dancing Raisins Experiment

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Water Pressure Experiment

Pressure is the amount of force that is exerted on something.

Gravity causes pressure naturally.

Water pressure is the force created by the weight of water .

When you jump into a pool, you can feel the force pushing around you.

Water pressure can push water through pipes and hoses.

Here is an easy water pressure experiment .

Simply poke a few holes at different heights on a bottle and watch water pressure at work.

You will find that water pressure changes depending how the height of the holes.

Here is another interesting experiment: water pressure.

Let's see what water pressure can do.

• tall, empty plastic bottle
• scissors or a sharp object to punch holes.
• adult supervision

Instructions

• Using scissors (or a sharp object), make a few holes on the plastic bottle 2 inches apart vertically.*Caution: be very careful whenever handling sharp objects*.
• Fill the bottle with water and watch it drain through those holes.

You have just created a water fountain ! This water fountain demonstrates the power of water pressure.

You should see that the stream coming out from the topmost hole land nearest to the bottle. The further down the hole, the farther its steam lands.

This phenomenon is created by different  water pressure at each hole.

In this experiment, water pressure is the force applied from the water above on the water below. Because this force comes from the weight of the water, the water at the bottom receives the most water pressure.

High water pressure pushes the water out through the hole the strongest and therefore the stream shoots the farthest.

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References:

Static Fluid Pressure

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Primary science investigations

• 2 Air pressure and the antigravity bottle
• 3 Air pressure, gases and the leaky bottle
• 4 Dissolving, density and ‘heavy’ sugar
• 5 Fizzy irreversible changes and bath bombs
• 6 Irreversible changes and the ‘fire extinguisher’
• 7 Irreversible changes and the ‘freaky hand’
• 8 Properties of gases, air pressure and ‘sticky’ cups
• 9 Properties of solids and ‘biscuit bashing’
• 10 Viscosity and ‘racing’ liquids
• 11 Freezing and the ‘intriguing ice’ experiment
• 12 Liquids, gases and the ‘lava lamp’

Air pressure, gases and the leaky bottle

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Try this simple investigation to explore the effects of air pressure

This resource is also available in Welsh and Irish

Get the Welsh language version .

Get the Irish language version .

This experiment focuses on air pressure, and can help develop learners’ understanding of forces, gravity and the properties of air. Watch the video of the ‘leaky bottle’ demonstration below, and then find out how your learners can explore air pressure themselves using rulers and newspaper.

Learning objectives

• To develop a simple definition of pressure in terms of force.
• To develop an awareness that the air around us exerts pressure on the objects it comes into contact with.
• To appreciate, through practical experimentation, that although air pressure is not often felt, its actions can be seen and explained.

Watch the video

The video below shows how to carry out the ‘leaky bottle’ demonstration.

Source: Royal Society of Chemistry

Investigate gases and atmospheric pressure with the Leaky Bottle experiment.

Download the supporting materials

Set up and run the investigation with your class using the teacher notes and classroom slides, featuring a full equipment list, method, key words and definitions, questions for learners, FAQs and more.

• Teacher notes

PDF  |  Editable Word document

Classroom slides

PDF  |  Editable PowerPoint document

DOWNLOAD ALL

What do learners need to know first?

Learners should already know that force is a push or a pull and that area is the space occupied by a flat shape or an object’s surface.

Equipment list

Leaky bottle demonstration (or per group if desired):.

• Plastic water bottle with screw-top lid
• Map/push pin
• Plastic tray to catch excess water
• Water to fill bottle

Main investigation (each group will need):

• 30 cm ruler
• Two identical sheets of newspaper
• Clear table top with a straight edge

Additional resources

• Investigate the affects of air pressure further in our anti-gravity bottle investigation or sticky cups investigation .
• Read up on solids, liquids and gases in this  That’s Chemistry!  textbook chapter .
• Introduce your learners to solids, liquids and gases with our  primary science podcast . 

Leaky bottle: teacher notes

Leaky bottle: classroom slides, additional information.

Primary science investigations were developed in collaboration with the Primary Science Teaching Trust

Air pressure and the antigravity bottle

Dissolving, density and ‘heavy’ sugar

Fizzy irreversible changes and bath bombs

Irreversible changes and the ‘fire extinguisher’

Irreversible changes and the ‘freaky hand’

Properties of gases, air pressure and ‘sticky’ cups

Properties of solids and ‘biscuit bashing’

Viscosity and ‘racing’ liquids

Freezing and the ‘intriguing ice’ experiment

Liquids, gases and the ‘lava lamp’

• Practical experiments
• Properties of matter

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Balloon in a Bottle : Air Pressure Experiment

• November 16, 2020
• 10 Minute Science , 5-6 Year Olds , 7-9 Year Olds , Household Items , Physics , Rainy Day Science

This is a simple experiment that shows how Air Pressure works.

Objective: Kids learn how air and air pressure are able to expand a balloon and can have a great demonstration on air pressure.

Time Required: Just a few minutes to set up the experiment and see the magical results

Materials Required:

This wonderful science activity can works as a demonstrable science fair event. All we need :

1) Balloons (as many as you want to try for experiment)

2) 2 Ltr Plastic Bottle (Make sure it is empty. Any plastic bottle would do the job as shown in the pictures)

4) Nails or Any other sharp edged thing for making hole in the bottle (we used soldering iron)

Preparation

• Just keep a hole at the bottom of the 2 litre bottle using nails or any other sharp ended object available around. Ensure the hole is made close to the bottom of the bottle.
• Get the Balloons ready for the experiment. Make sure there are no holes.
• Leave the 1 litre bottle without any holes.
• After all the above preparation is done, take two balloons and insert into the two bottles. And then stretch the neck of the balloon over the bottle mouth and leave it. Such that the opening of the bottle is sealed over the bottle mouth.

Instructions to do the Experiment

Here are the easy and simple step-by-step instructions to do this spectacular science experiment.

Step-1: If you are the parent of two children, you can ask them to distribute the prepared two bottles between them. If not, you can share the other bottle along with your child during investigation. Or simply, ask your child to do the experiment one after the other bottle.

Step-2: Now, give a try to inflate a balloon that is placed inside the bottle which is having no holes. Wishing best luck but finally the balloon will not expand even after putting so much energy and efforts. There is a reason behind this which we will learn in further steps.

Step-3:  Then, move on to the other bottle which is having a hole at the bottom. Try to blow up the balloon inserted into it. Surprisingly, the balloon blows up easily like how we do in a regular way.

Ste-4: Next, blow up the balloon in the bottle with hole to some extent and then close the hole using your own fingers. That means you are trapping the air not to flow outside the bottle through the hole. But what happens by doing so? Well, the inflated balloon stays the same without losing any air inflated inside it. Simply put, the inflated balloon remains same and do not deflate.

Step-5: The next step is making the balloon in the bottle with hole inflated by bringing the surrounding air into the bottle. I knew this step is little confusing but do not worry and let’s keep it simple.

Turn the bottle slightly curved and keep your mouth near the hole. Now suck out the air inside the bottle using your mouth.

Then, what happens to the balloon?

The balloon sucks the surrounding air into it and keeps inflating until you continue to suck the air out of the bottle. Amazing huh!!

Step-6: In this step, we are going to insert a balloon with water inside the bottle. Are you wondered?

Yes, it is a bit difficult but in this activity we are going to make it simple.

Firstly, pick up a balloon and fill it with water. Then, try to insert it inside the bottle.

You will realize that you can’t insert a balloon filled with water directly into the bottle. So, we need a tricky step over here. Here is that magical step. Just insert the balloon inside the bottle and seal the opening of it by stretching over the bottle mouth.

Inflate the balloon to some extent and close the hole on the bottle tightly. Then, pour enough amount of water in to the balloon carefully through the opening of the balloon which is stretched over bottle mouth.

Make sure the bottle hole is still closed while pouring water inside the balloon.

Step-7: Take off the sealed part of the balloon (i.e. opening of the balloon) off the bottle mouth and hold it tightly. Now, you can release the air trapped inside the bottle through the hole.

And give a knot to the balloon opening carefully, leave it. Instead of knot, you can also try closing the bottle mouth using the bottle cap.

Yes, put the bottle cap and tighten it until the mouth of the bottle is properly closed. Finally, you can see a balloon inside the bottle. That’s it! You are done. The science experiment “Balloon in a Bottle” is done. It is so simple right!

Science Behind This Activity

 In step-2, even if you try to blow up the balloon inside the balloon, you cannot inflate it because the bottle is completely filled with air. The filled air inside the bottle does not allow the balloon to inflate.

In step-3, the hole on the bottle let the filled air particles go outside the bottle. The air particles move outside the bottle. Because the inflated balloon applies pressure on the air particles filled inside the bottle. And the air pressure is caused because the balloon is inflated.

So, the pressure created by the inflated balloon pushes the air particles move outside the bottle through the hole.   

In step-4, when you close the hole, the balloon stays inflated as long as you plug it. When you remove the thumb off the hole and release the air out of the bottle, the balloon gets collapsed and deflated.

This is because the air particles moves back in to the bottle and collapses the inflated balloon by pushing the air inside balloon out of the bottle mouth. The balloon gets back to its original shape because it is made of rubber.  

In step-5, when you suck the air inside the bottle through the hole using your mouth, the air particle move out of the bottle slowly. This creates pressure inside the balloon.

This pressure sucks the outside surrounding air particles in to it. And this happens through the mouth of the bottle sealed with balloons opening.

Eventually, when the surrounding air is sucked through the mouth of the bottle, the balloon starts inflating slowly. This is how the balloon is inflated on its own when the air is sucked out of the bottle.

In step 6 and 7, the water inside the balloon let it to expand and when you give a knot, the air particles stay and keeps the inflated balloon stay inside the bottle. In this way, the Balloon in a Bottle Science Experiment works out using simple ingredients.

Important Questions to Focus on:

After the experiment, ask and discuss with your little scientists about the following important key questions. It is the most important step to do whenever you finish any science experiment. It helps children to find out answers using their thinking skills.

Also, helps to improve child’s critical thinking , problem solving, and not to give up nature. So, here are the questions to discuss:

1) How do you explain an air pressure?

2) How are air and air pressure related to each other?

3) How air pressure and air makes a balloon inflate?

4) What could be the reason behind making a balloon expand in a bottle?

5) Why there is air movement inside and outside the bottle?

Interested in more Air Pressure Activities:

DIY Balloon Powered Car

Balloon Rocket

How Hot Air Balloon Works

Tornado in a Bottle

The hole punched on the bottle offers an opportunity to the air trapped inside the bottle to let go freely. This creates low pressure inside and at the bottom of the bottle. When the hole is closed with your fingers, there is high pressure created inside the balloon. And this high pressure created sucks the surrounding air inside the balloon and keeps it inflated. Because the high pressure air is pushed downwards and harder when compared to the low pressure air at the bottom of the bottle. Thus, the balloon stay inflated in the bottle.

A balloon is made out of latex and rubber material. When you try to inflate a balloon, it can expand maximum to its elasticity point and the pressure reaches till 810 mmHg. If you still inflate the balloon it can expand up to 820 mmHg, 830 mmHg and then slowly to 830 mmHg of maximum pressure point. At the last, when you still pop up a balloon beyond its maximum pressure and elasticity point of 840 mmHg, the balloon gets blasted.

Inflating a balloon means you are actually inserting a variety of gases inside the balloon. Most importantly, Helium is the gas which is mostly goes in to the balloon. The gases inside the balloon creates pressure and this pressure goes on increasing if you inflate a balloon. As a result of increase in pressure, the balloon expands and gets inflated. The maximum pressure point up to which a balloon can hold air pressure ranges between 820 mmHg – 840 mmHg.

Absolutely no, the pressure inside the balloon is not same as outside the balloon. There is a pressure difference between outside and inside the balloon. The pressure outside the balloon is lower than the pressure inside the balloon. The best example is: when you poke a balloon with a sharp ended object, there is an out flow of air from inside to outside the balloon. This just happens because of air flow from higher pressure to lower pressure. When there is lower pressure inside the balloon and higher pressure outside the balloon, then the air flow happens from outside to inside. And if the pressure is same from outside and inside, then there wouldn’t be any air flow in to the balloon.

Air pressure inside the balloon is created depending on many factors. 1) Balloon Size 2) Volume inside the Balloon 3) Material of the Balloon. If the balloon volume is more, then the pressure created inside the balloon decreases. And if the balloon made out of elastic material, then the air pressure develops inside the balloon in high amount.

The first reason behind deflating balloon is: differences in the air pressure surrounding, inside, and outside the balloon. When there is high pressure inside the balloon and lower pressure outside the balloon, then the balloon starts deflating. The second reason includes: when the balloon is inflated the elastic nature of the balloon surface gets expanded and becomes thin. The thin surface of the balloon is the reason to form tiny and invisible holes on the balloon. Through these tiny holes, the air particles start diffusing and eventually escapes from the surface of the balloon.

Air filled and Helium filled balloons vary while holding the air inside. The balloons that are nicely filled with air and tightly packed will hold the air stay for 6-8 weeks. Latex balloons which are filled with helium will stay up for 8-10 hours. Whereas Helium-filled Mylar balloons will hold the air and float for about 3-4 days.

Barometer is the instrument used to measure and record the changes in the air pressure. And it is firstly invented during 1660’s. The original version of the instrument works on the readings given by the mercury that is filled in the small bowl. You will see more mercury inside the tube when there is high pressure. This is how the air pressure readings are calculated.

When the readings on barometer reaches till 30 inches Hg indicates the air pressure is Normal. Low pressure readings are recorded at 27.23 Hg whereas the high pressure readings are considered at 30.7 Hg.

The air inside the balloon is compressed when you fill a balloon with air. This packed down air due to compression is proved to carry heavier loads same as air capacity under standard atmospheric pressure. As a result, the balloon with air in it heavier than a balloon without air.

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