Crush the Can Experiment
As a middle school student, if you have been asked to make a Science project then, you can demonstrate an easy scientific principle/rule. This will not only save a lot of time but will also have negligible expense. One such experiment is the famous “Crushing Can Experiment.” You will require only a few things and it is easy to do. Make sure the audience knows the purpose of conducting this experiment. It is to show the effect of pressure to changing external and internal temperatures of a body.
Requirements:
– Empty Can of desired size
– Container
– Ice Cubes
– Water
– Bunsen Burner
Instructions
-
1
The empty can with little water
Take an empty tin of any size and fill it with water. Now place it over a burning Bunsen burner/stove. -
2
The Ice Water
Take a container and fill it with cold water. Add some ice and stir until it melts, making the water more cold. -
3
Evaporating water from can
Evaporate water in the tin by putting it to boil. This will create steam and pressure inside in the can, which will try to push out. This effect will be similar to that in a pressure cooker. The air outside the can will exert pressure from outside, while the steam inside will create pressure on the inside. -
4
Removing can from burner
Once all the water has boiled off, remove the can from the burner and place it somewhere carefully. Remember it is full of steam and the internal temperature is quite high. -
5
Putting Ice Water on the Can
Finally, pour the cold water you prepared in the container. You will notice that when chilled water is poured into it, the can will crush and lose shape. This is because the boiled water which had created steam converts back into liquid because of 'condensation.' This can be accredited to the cold water that was poured. This process of condensation ends up crushing the can because the air pressure outside is greater than the internal pressure.
