Name: _______________________________________
Principles of Technology
Date: _____________
Period: ___________
Air Pressure and Wind Lab
Today you will be completing 4 stations that model how air pressure works. You will relate what
you learn to how air pressure affects wind. Follow the instructions for each of the stations, then
complete the analysis questions that follow. You will turn this lab in for credit at the end of the
period. Turning this assignment in late will result in points deducted from your grade.
Station A:
Materials: Piece of cardstock paper, plastic cup.
Prediction: Read the procedure without completing any of the steps. Make a prediction about
what will happen to the water in the cup:
______________________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________________
Procedure:
1. Before you get started, make sure the cardstock paper is large enough to completely
cover the mouth of the glass. Fill the glass or plastic cup to the top with water.
2. Cover the cup with the paper, making sure that the card completely covers the mouth of
the container.
3. Hold the cup over the sink just in case you accidentally spill. Keep your hand on the
paper and turn the cup upside down.
4. Slowly take your hand away from the paper, holding just the cup.
5. Make observations about what happened then answer the questions that follow.
Observations: Either draw a diagram (with labels) or describe in detail what occurred when you
flipped the cup with the paper over.
Analysis questions: Answer the following questions with detail. They do NOT have to be in
complete sentences, but there should be enough detail to receive full credit.
1. How did your observations match your prediction? What did you get correct? What did
you get wrong?
2. Discuss the following questions with your group then answer it below: Why did the
water stay in the cup? Think about the bottle demonstration and the air pressure reading.
3. Read the paragraph at your station.
a. Summarize in 1-2 sentences in your own words what happened inside the cup.
b. Draw an image/diagram that explains what happened inside the cup.
Station B
Materials: Aluminum soda can, hot plate, tongs, bucket of cold water, oven mitt
Prediction: Read the procedure without completing any of the steps. Make a prediction about
what will happen to the soda can when it touches the water:
______________________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________________
Procedure:
1. Put a small amount of room temperature water in the bottom of the can, just enough to
cover the bottom.
2. Wearing an oven mitt, place the can on the hot plate. Do so until there is a good chimney
of steam coming out of the opening in the can. This might take a couple of minutes.
3. Quickly invert the can into the bucket of cold water and watch the results. Use tongs to
complete this step. The can will be hot.
4. Make observations about what happened then answer the questions that follow.
Observations: Describe in detail what occurred when you inverted the can in the bucket of cold
water.
Analysis questions: Answer the following questions with detail. They do NOT have to be in
complete sentences, but there should be enough detail to receive full credit.
4. How did your observations match your prediction? What did you get correct? What did
you get wrong?
5. Discuss the following questions with your group then answer it below: Why did the can
get crushed? Think about the bottle demonstration and the air pressure reading.
6. Read the paragraph at your station.
a. Summarize in 1-2 sentences in your own words what happened to the can.
b. Draw an image/diagram that explains what happened inside the cup.
Station C:
Materials: 2 liter bottle, balloon, bowl, hot water, ice
Prediction: Read the procedure without completing any of the steps. Make a prediction about
what will happen to the balloon when the hot water is poured into the bowl.
______________________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________________
Make a prediction about what will happen to the balloon when the ice is poured into the bowl.
______________________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________________
Procedure:
1. Fit the mouth of the balloon over the mouth of the empty, two-liter
bottle.
2. Stand the bottle in the center of the bowl. Fill the bowl with hot water,
around the outside of the two-liter bottle.
3. After a few minutes, observe the balloon. Note your observations in the
space below.
4. Carefully pour the water out of the bowl and fill the bowl with ice.
5. After a few minutes, observe the balloon. Note your observations in the
space below.
Observations: Describe in detail what occurred when you put the bottle in hot water.
Observations: Describe in detail what occurred when you put the bottle in the bowl of ice.
Analysis questions: Answer the following questions with detail. They do NOT have to be in
complete sentences, but there should be enough detail to receive full credit.
7. How did your observations match your prediction? What did you get correct? What did
you get wrong?
8. Discuss the following questions with your group then answer it below: Why did the
balloon inflate and deflate? Think about the bottle demonstration and the air pressure
reading.
9. Read the paragraph at your station.
a. Summarize in 1-2 sentences in your own words what happened inside the
balloon.
b. Draw an image/diagram that explains what happened inside the balloon.
Air Pressure Lab Summary Questions: The following questions ask about the scientific
concepts learned in the lab as a whole. Use your air pressure reading, the lab station readings,
and what you learned in lab today to answer the following questions.
1. Circle one: Hot air (rises/sinks) and cold air (rises/sinks).
2. What is convection?
3. Circle one: Hot temperatures are associated with (low/high) pressure systems. Colder
temperatures are associated with (low/high) pressure systems.
4. Describe how air molecules behave when they heat up AND cool down.
Heat up:
Cool down:
5. How does a change in density cause air to move? How does this relate to wind?
6. How does air pressure effect wind?