Simple Experiment: Air Taking Up Space

 
What is air? What are its’ characteristics?
 
Using this simple experiment, we investigated an interesting characteristic of air.
 
You will need a funnel; empty bottle; balloon, masking tape, rubber band, water.
 

 

 
{Observe, Predict Outcomes, Test Predictions}
 
Put the funnel into the mouth of the bottle and before pouring water into the funnel, let children predict what will happen when they pour water into the funnel. (N & M predicted that the water will flow into the bottle).
 
Pour the water into the funnel and observe, the water flows into the bottle.
 
{Observe, Predict Outcome, Test Predictions}
 
Now, secure the funnel onto the bottle so there is no space between the two.
 
I found it very difficult to seal up the bottle. I tried using some clay at first, but that failed miserably. In the end I had to stretch a balloon over the top of the bottle; cut a tiny hole in the stretched balloon to put the funnel into; put the funnel on top of the bottle through that tiny hole; tape the funnel onto the bottle with masking tape and secure the funnel to the bottle again with a very large elastic band.
 
Before pouring water into the funnel and now sealed bottle, let children predict what will happen when they pour water into the funnel. (N & M predicted that the water will flow into the bottle, as it had done before the bottle was sealed).
 
Test predictions by pouring water into the funnel and now sealed up bottle.
 
Observe that the water remains in the funnel does not flow into the bottle. (N & M exclaimed, “The water is stuck!” . Using their fingers, they even tried to push the water into the bottle, but the water still didn’t go into the bottle.)
 

 
{Propose Explanations}
 
Let children propose why the water has remained in the funnel instead of flowing into the (sealed) bottle.
 
Discuss what has changed; the bottle has been sealed off so things can’t get out.
 
Now that the bottle is sealed, air can’t get out. Water can’t get into the bottle because it’s already full of air. Before we sealed up the bottle, air could easily get out of the bottle and make space for the water poured in through the funnel.
 
{Modify Understandings}
 
Although we can’t see air, we know it’s there and it takes up space.
 

N & M: 4 years, 1 month