"Can O Doom"

The "Can O Doom" experiment will demonstrate the amount of force that can be exerted by the atmosphere. As well as giving the students a better understanding of what pressure is and how it can be seen through this demonstration.

The Materials needed:

                                                                         
        Aluminum Can        Bunsen Burner                Pan of crushed ice                   Tongs                                                                                                             and water                                                          

Steps:

1. Place three-fourths of water into the aluminum can.
2. Have the bunsen burner or heating pan already on and using the tongs place the can over the   burner.
3. When you see that the water inside of the can is evaporating, then immediately place the can       upside down into the pan of ice cold water.
4. Hold the can down until you see the result.

The can should end up looking like this........         


    The reasoning behind the crushing can is because the pressure inside the can is decreasing as it's         being cooled down by the ice cold water making the normal atmospheric pressure outside the can     greater which is what causes the can to crush and some water being pulled into the can.

Some Tips

• Before starting the experiment you could ask the students to give their definition of pressure.
• After the experiment some questions that can be asked: