Air pressure is the weight of air molecules pushing down on Earth and us! It is all around and the changes in air pressure create our weather patterns. Low-pressure systems are associated with stormy weather and high pressure, sunshine. This experiment can help you visualize air pressure since air is invisible to us but it is very important!
WHAT YOU NEED
- Water bottle with the label removed and water in it
- A thumbtack or nail (PARENT NEEDED TO SUPERVISE)
- A container
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WHAT YOU DO
- Put the water bottle or recycled soda bottle filled with water in a container
- Unscrew the water bottle cap and put the cap back on
- Create a hole in the water bottle on the side using your thumbtack or nail
- Remove the pin and see what happens
- Next, remove the lid and watch what happens
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WHAT IS GOING ON?
Even though you put a hole in the water bottle, since the cap is on, the air pressure pushing on the outside of the bottle will keep the water inside.
When you remove the cap, the air pressure changes. Air starts pushing down on the water inside the bottle and it pushes out of the hole! To stop it, put the lid back on and the water will stop leaking because the pressure of the air around the bottle will plug up the hole!
Don’t forget to share photos with us of your kids doing these experiments on Facebook!
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