Imploding Pop Can

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In this dramatic activity/demonstration about phase change and condensation, learners place an aluminum can filled with about two tablespoons of water on a stove burner. When steam begins to exit the opening of the can, learners will turn off the stove, pick up the can with an oven mitt and immediately place the can in a bowl of cold water. To everyone's surprise, the can will implode! Note: this activity requires adult supervision. [Activity is publicly available through a web crawler capture on Archive.org.]

Quick Guide

Preparation Time:
Under 5 minutes
Learning Time:
5 to 10 minutes
Estimated Materials Cost:
free per group of students
Age Range:
Ages 8 - 14
Resource Types:
Activity, Demonstration
Language:
English

Materials List (per group of students)

  • One aluminum can
  • One oven mitt or other hand protection
  • Some tap water
  • A stovetop burner (electric or gas is OK)
  • One bowl of cold water. The bowl must be able to hold at least 20 ounces of water. Try using a sauce pan that holds a few quarts of water.

Keywords

Subjects

  • Physical Sciences
    • Heat and Thermodynamics
      • Heat and Temperature
      • Thermodynamics and Entropy
    • States of Matter
      • Liquids
      • Gases
      • Changes of Phase
  • The Nature of Science
    • The Scientific Process
      • Conducting Investigations

Audience

To use this activity, learners need to:

  • see
  • touch

Learning styles supported:

  • Involves hands-on or lab activities

Other

Access Rights:

  • Free access

By:

Rights:

  • All rights reserved, Little Shop of Physics, 2009