Balloon Pressure (Alan Kodel)

Author

Alan Kodel

Principle(s) Illustrated

• Pressure=Force/Area

• Relationship between surface area and pressure.

• Force distribution

Standards

• • NGSS Cross Cutting Concepts- Scale, Proportion and Quantity

• Core Ideas PS 2 Motion and Stability - Forces and Interactions

Questioning Script

Prior knowledge & experience:

Students may have already been introduced to the equation for pressure but it is not mandatory.

Root question:

Why does the balloon pop when pressed against a single pin but does not pop when pressed against several pins?

How else can this concept be applied to other real life scenarios?

Target response:

Consider the equation Pressure=Force/Area. Assuming the Force applied to both balloons is the same, the increased number of pins will increase the surface area and distribute the force. This will result in a decrease in pressure on the balloon pressed against more pins.

Common Misconceptions:

More sharp pins will cause the balloon to pop with less force being applied.

Photographs and Movies

References

Variation of this experiment.

https://www.stevespanglerscience.com/lab/experiments/bed-of-nails-physics-lesson/