The Egg in a Bottle experiment is a classic demonstration of the principles of air pressure.
Here's a simple guide for conducting this experiment:
Materials:
- Hard-boiled egg (peeled)
- Glass bottle with a narrow neck (a milk bottle works well)
- Sheet of paper
- Matches or lighter
Procedure:
- Peel the hard-boiled egg so that it easily fits through the neck of the bottle.
- Ensure that the bottle has a narrow neck. This is crucial for the success of the experiment.
- Fold a small piece of paper and light it with matches or a lighter.
- Quickly place the peeled hard-boiled egg on the mouth of the bottle.
- Observe what happens. You might notice that the egg is initially pushed back out by the air in the bottle.
- Drop the burning paper into the bottle and quickly place the egg back on the bottle.
- Watch as the egg is pulled into the bottle.
Explanation:
When you place the burning paper inside the bottle, it heats the air inside. As the air heats up, it expands and escapes from the bottle. When you place the egg on the bottle, the air inside the bottle cools down, creating a lower pressure. The higher external air pressure then pushes the egg into the bottle.
Tips:
- This experiment works best with a glass bottle that has a narrow neck.
- Perform the experiment quickly to ensure that the egg is placed on the bottle immediately after the burning paper is dropped in.
- You can discuss the concepts of air pressure, expansion and contraction of gases with children.
This experiment not only provides a visual representation of air pressure but also introduces the idea of how temperature changes can affect the air inside a closed space.
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