WEIGHING AIR

WHAT DO YOU THINK?

We are going to use a simple balance to try to weigh air. Do you think a balloon filled with air will weigh more than, less than, or the same as an empty balloon?

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YOU NEED:

2 balloons
1 piece of string
1 push pin
1 stick
3 pieces of tape

DO THIS:

1. Blow up both balloons so they are the same size.

2. Tape one balloon to each end of the stick.

3. Tie the string to the center of the stick and adjust it so that the stick balances when it is held by the string. Tape the string in place.

4. Before we check out our hypotheses, let's see how the balance works. If one end were heavier, the balance would tip. Would the heavier end go up or down?_________________________________

Try it by adding a paper clip to one end of the stick. What happened?

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5. Have one person hold the string while the other one pops one of the balloons. What happens?

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OBSERVATIONS:

Whenever you do an experiment, you do certain things and then you observe nature's reaction. It is important to be clear about what you did and what nature did. Try writing this below for the experiment you just finished.

What we did:

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What we observed:

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CONCLUSION:

After you have finished an experiment, it is important to summarize what you learned or what the experiment demonstrated. This is called the conclusion. Try writing the conclusion for the experiment you just did.

What did this experiment show?

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