Expansion and Contraction of Air

The Expansion and Contraction of Air activity demonstrates how air expands and contracts when heated or cooled. To begin, a disc is cut out from a piece of cardboard, leaving a circular hole in the remaining cardboard. A balloon is then inflated to a size that allows it to just pass through the circle. The balloon is placed in a tray, and hot water is poured over it. As the air inside the balloon heats up and expands, the balloon increases in size and no longer fits through the cardboard circle. When cold water is poured over the balloon, the air inside contracts, causing the balloon to shrink and easily pass through the circle again. This demonstrates how temperature changes affect air volume and pressure. 

Learning Objective:

To explore the relationship between temperature and the expansion or contraction of air, highlighting the effects of heat on gas volume and demonstrating principles of thermal expansion and contraction. 

Tags:
Air expansion, Air contraction, Thermal expansion, Gas behaviour, Temperature effects, Thermodynamics.