2.

04 Trends in Air Pressure and

Lab – The Crush: The Effects of Air Pressure
Work File

Trends in Air Pressure

Examining the Table

Task 1:
1. Based on the information in the data table, finish the following sentence
(record your answers on the Work File):

"As altitude increases, the air pressure __decreases__."

Task 2:
1. What causes air pressure?

•Air pressure is caused by the weight of the air.

2. What instrument is used to measure air pressure?

•The Barometer

3. Why does air pressure decrease as you go up in altitude?

•because there is less gravitational force pulling you down, and there is less air
pressure because all of it is down at earths surface.

4. When preparing for a climb, many climbers will measure the air pressure at the
highest altitudes to which they will be climbing. Why do they do this?

•Climbers do this to know how much extra oxygen they will need to bring with
them so they can acheive the climb.

Task 3

At this point, you will need to fill out this Lab Report. To do this, you will use the
information from the lesson along with what you observed.
The Crush Lab:

LAB REPORT

TITLE: The Crush: The Effects of Air Pressure

OBJECTIVE: To demonstrate the effects of air pressure on an aluminum can.

MATERIALS:

• empty aluminum soda can

• shallow pan (baking, or pie pan, or storage bowl will do)
• water
• metric ruler (to measure depth of water)
• stove top burner
• two oven mitts or hot pads

PROCEDURES:
Note: Read all the instructions for this lab before you begin working! Pre-reading
the procedure, will give you a mental picture of what you will be doing and a
better understanding the process.

1. Make sure there are no materials around the burner. Then turn on the stove
top burner to the highest setting.

2. Off to the side, on the counter, pour water into the shallow pan to a depth of 2
centimeters. (Measure to be sure it is this deep.)

3. Fill the soda can so that there is about 1 centimeter of water at the bottom.
(This does not have to be exact.)

4. Carefully place the can on the burner so that it stands up securely. *Have the
pan with the water in it on the counter near the burner.

5. Allow the water in the can to heat up until the water inside is boiling rapidly,
and you see steam rising from the opening of the can (This will take 3 - 5
minutes). Let it boil for about 30 - 60 seconds.

6. Use the hot pads to remove the can from the burner (do so by placing one hot
pad on top of the can, lifting from the top, then place the second hot pad on the
bottom of the can and gripping at the bottom of the can, quickly put the can
upside down in the water in the pan.)

7. Observe and record what you see and hear.

8. Leave the can in the water for a moment. Measure the amount of water in the
pan. Was it more or less than when you began? Think about why?

DATA:

1. What did you observe as the can containing water was heated on the burner?

•I observed that the can began to release vapor from the opening in the can
because the water was boiling.

2. What did you observe after you turned the can upside down and placed it in
the pan of water? (We used the water so that air movement in and out of the can
was stopped.)

•In the first few second i did not notice any specific changes, and then after a few
minutes the can began to suck up the water in the plate.

3. When you lifted the can, what did you find out about the amount of water in
the can at this point as compared to the starting point?

•The amount of water was what i had originally put, plus the water that was in the
plate, so it had more water.

ANALYSIS: Some things you need to know before you answer these analysis
questions.
When air is heated, it expands, becoming less dense. That is, there will be fewer
molecules in a given volume of hot air than the same volume of cold air.
For example: When you heat the can on the burner, the air inside the can is
heated, and expands. The air that cannot be contained in the can escapes
through the opening. As the water is heated water vapor enters the air in the can
and some of that escapes too, and we see steam.

1. At the very beginning, when you put water into the empty can, was it really
empty?
What was actually in the can as you added the water?

•No, the can had air molecules inside.

2. When you started the activity, the can was open to the air outside the can.
How did the air pressure inside the can compare to the air pressure outside the
can? (equal, lower, or, higher)

Equal, because it was free to flow as it wanted.

3. Now re-read the note above #1. After we heat the can, we have expanding
air inside the can, and some of it is leaving the can. Think about this in terms of
numbers of air molecules inside and outside the can. There should be a
difference at this point in the experiment between the air inside and outside the
can.
a. After heating the can, where are there more air molecules - inside or
outside the
can?

• Outside the can

b. After heating the can, where are there fewer air molecules - inside or
outside the can?
•Inside the can.

4. Now, air pressure is related to the number of air molecules in a column of air
or in a volume of air (like inside the can and outside the can). Based on your
answers in #3, where is
a. the air pressure greatest?

•Outside the can because there is a greater number of molecules

b. the air pressure lowest?

• The inside of the can because there is less oxygen.

5. At this point, you inverted the can into the pan of water, preventing air from
flowing in or out of the can, and what did you observe?

• I observed the can sucking in the water that was in the plate.

CONCLUSION:

1. Based on your answer to #3, 4, and 5 above explain what happened to the can
in terms of air pressure inside and outside the can.

•The air could not escape in or out of the can so there was less oxygen causing
the can to suck up the water.

2. Go back to this resource website:

http://www.usatoday.com/weather/wbaromtr.htm
At this site, read about how a mercury barometer works and look at the diagram
of the mercury barometer at the top of the page.
How was the can in the pan of water similar to the mercury barometer?

•When the can was in the pan the air pressure pressed down on the water
forcing the water in the pan to go up into the can.