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Air Cannon
Source Institutions
In this activity, learners create air cannons out of everyday materials. Learners use their air cannons to investigate air as a force and air pressure.

Heavy Air
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In this activity and/or demonstration, learners illustrate visually and physically that air has weight. Learners balance two equally-inflated balloons hanging from string on a yard stick.

Turning the Air Upside Down: Warm Air is Less Dense than Cool Air
Learners cover a bottle with a balloon. When they immerse the bottle in warm water, the balloon inflates. When they immerse the bottle in a bowl of ice, the balloon deflates.

Does Air Weigh Anything?
Source Institutions
The demonstration/experiment provides quick proof that air has mass.

If Hot Air Rises, Why is it Cold in the Mountains?
Source Institutions
This demonstration/activity helps learners understand why higher elevations are not always warm simply because "hot air rises." Learners use a tire pump to increase the pressure and temperature inside

Painting a Picture with Air
Source Institutions
Create a painting by blowing air out of a straw. Push liquid acrylic paint around on some watercolor paper by aiming short bursts of air onto the paint puddle.

What's Hiding in the Air?: Rubber Band Air Test
Learners build devices from rubber bands to test for invisible air pollutants.

A Recipe for Air
Learners use M&Ms® (or any other multi-color, equally-sized small candy or pieces) to create a pie graph that expresses the composition of air.

Full of Hot Air: Hot Air Balloon Building
Source Institutions
In this activity, learners create a model of a hot air balloon using tissue paper and a hairdryer. Educators can use this activity to introduce learners to density and its role in why things float.

CD Air Puck
Source Institutions
In this activity, learners will use a compact disc to build an air puck that can glide across a smooth tabletop. The puck glides with almost no friction on a cushion of air escaping from a balloon.

Fly a Hot-Air Balloon
Source Institutions
Learners assemble a hot-air balloon from tissue paper. The heated air (from a heat gun) inside the balloon is less dense than the surrounding air and causes the balloon to float.

Mini Vortex
Source Institutions
In this activity, learners will build an air cannon out of simple materials you can find around the house. Although air is invisible to the eye, it is not by any means empty space!

Amazing Air
Source Institutions
In this activity, learners construct a small "air cannon," and use its airflow to put out a candle (lit with the help of an adult).

Air Lift
Source Institutions
In this physics activity, challenge learners to lift a book with just air using a plastic bag and a straw. This activity demonstrates compressed air and forces.

Air Pressure
Source Institutions
In this experiment, learners use a blow dryer and water bottle to observe and record changes in air pressure caused by changes in temperature.

Light as Air
Source Institutions
In this physics activity (page 6 of the PDF), learners will demonstrate air has weight by comparing an inflated balloon to a deflated one.

All About Air
Source Institutions
In this activity, learners with explore the gases present in air. They will then build their own wind cannons and challenge family and friends to a friendly competition.

Physics Over the Sink: Water Glass Magic
Source Institutions
In this simple demonstration, learners investigate the properties of air pressure. Learners place an index card on top of a glass full of water, then invert the glass.

Balancing Ball: Suspend a ball in a stream of air
Source Institutions
Balance a ball in the air with a hair dryer! This Exploratorium produced activity shows learners concepts like lift and air streams. You can try many different angles, speeds, and ball types.

Dunk and Flip
Source Institutions
Learners complete two simple experiments to prove the existence of air and air pressure which surround us.