You will need:
- 1 Helium filled balloon on a string
- Someone driving a car (with a licence!)
Sit BEHIND the driver and hold the string of the helium balloon.
DON’T BLOCK THE DRIVER’S VISION!
Have the driver start the car and move the car forwards.
Does the balloon stay above your hand, go towards the driver or go towards the back of the car?
Get the Unit of Work on Pressure here!
- Want to dive into air pressure?
- It’s all about air pressure in many ways!
From how storms form to how planes fly, this unit covers many concepts about air pressure.
Includes cross-curricular teaching ideas, student quizzes, a sample marking rubric, scope & sequences & more
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What is going on?
All objects try to stay in one place unless a force makes them travel somewhere. This is why when the car goes forward you ‘feel’ as if you’re being pushed backward, but really your body is just trying to stay where it was before the car moved. This is called inertia.
Inertia also affects the air inside the car. When the car goes forward, the air inside also tries to stay resting in the spot where the car was parked. As the car accelerates forward, the density of the air increases towards the back of the car. This builds up pressure in the back of the car.
You would expect the helium balloon to travel to the back of the car as well. The problem is that the helium inside the balloon is less dense than the air surrounding the balloon. The balloon tries to ‘float’ above the dense air in the back of the car, causing it to go forward.
Variables to test
- Try a balloon filled with air instead
- Teaching about air pressure? Check out the Flight or Weather show!
- Teaching about Newton’s laws? Check out the Forces, Friction & Movement workshop!
Get in touch with FizzicsEd to find out how we can work with your class.
Liquid Nitrogen Show
Years K to 6
Maximum 60 students
Science show
45 minutes
Online Class Available
STEM Full Day Accelerator - Primary
Designed from real classroom experiences, this modular day helps you create consistently effective science learning that directly address the new curriculum with easily accessible and cost-effective materials.
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