GRAND RAPIDS — Do you think its possible to fit a water balloon inside a bottle?? The only way we will make it happen is by creating different air pressure. Let’s find out how!
What you need:
- Water Balloon
- Match or lighter
- Piece of paper
- Bottle
- Water
Step 1: Fill the balloon with water. Not too large but just enough so the balloon can rest sitting on top of the open bottle
Step 2: Light a piece of paper on fire and drop it into the bottle
Step 3: Quickly place the balloon back on top of the bottle
Step 4: Watch what happens!
We just watched a change in air pressure! The balloon got sucked into the bottle is due to the air pressure changing. When you light the piece of paper and drop it in the bottle you heat up the air inside the bottle. That now warm air wants to escape the bottle so it leaves rushing past the balloon. You will actually see the balloon shake a little bit as the air is leaving the bottle. That fire is also using oxygen in the air in the bottle to burn. The paper burning up the oxygen lowers the pressure inside the bottle and starts to suck in the balloon.
Now you have your balloon inside the bottle! But how do you get it out? Depending on the exact size of your balloon sometimes you can just pull it out if the balloon is small enough but if the balloon is too big and gets stuck you need to increase the air pressure inside the bottle! Take a straw and place it in the bottle towards the bottom along side the balloon. Blow in the straw while also pulling up on the balloon and you should be able to pull the balloon right out!
The change in air pressure both ways gets the balloon in and out of the bottle!
Air pressure changes our weather a lot! Air pressure is the force exerted onto a surface by the weight of the air. If there's high pressure that usually means we have clear and sunny skies. If there is low pressure that usually means it will be stormy. Remember when we made a barometer? The tool we use to measure pressure! This is another cool way showing how air pressure works!
There you have it, we learned more about air pressure! Send our meteorologist Candace Monacelli your pictures doing this experiments at home! She will feature future meteorologists on my Facebook page daily!
