Activity Overview
Kids of all ages will enjoy the fun invisible force called air pressure that can make a soda can jump from one mug into the other! Young scientists and their observers will not want to miss this fun hands on experiment.
Fast moving air creates an area of low pressure, so when you blow air into the space between the can and the mug, it lowers the pressure on the outside of the can. The harder that you blow, a lower pressure environment is created while the air pressure underneath the can stays the same. This vast difference in air pressure causes the can to pop right up out of the mug. This bit of family-friendly science is based on Bernoulli's Principle.
Materials Needed
- 1 empty soda can
- 2 coffee mugs
How To Do It
- Place one mug in front of the other mug.
- Place one soda can face up inside the mug closest to you.
- Blow air into the space between the mug and the soda can which will cause the can to "jump" into the other mug.
- You may need to adjust the mug distance as necessary.
