Atmospheric Pressure-The Crashing Soda Cans (Enrique Hueyopa)

Author(s)

Enrique Hueyopa

Principles Illustrated

Bernoulli's Principle: as the velocity of a fluid increases, the pressure exerted by that fluid decreases

Standards

GRADE FIVE

4. Energy from the Sun heats Earth unevenly, causing air movements that result in

changing weather patterns. As a basis for understanding this concept:

e. Students know that the Earth’s atmosphere exerts a pressure that decreases with

distance above Earth’s surface and that at any point it exerts this pressure

equally in all directions.

Questioning Script

Prior knowledge & experience:

What is air?

What can air do to other objects?

Root question:

What will happen to the cans when a stream of air is blown between both cans?

Target response:

Students will state that the cans will move in opposite directions?

Common Misconceptions:

Most students are unaware of Bernoulli's principle, and assume that an increase in the velocity of the air between the cans will cause the cans to move in opposite directions.

Photographs and Movies

See Movie HERE!

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References

Liem, L., Tik. (1987). Invitations to Science Inquiry. Chino Hills, CA: Science Inquiry

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