IC Lessons
Volcanoes
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A. Title of this lesson: Why Did Mt. St. Helen’s Explode? (Newton’s Third Law and
the Sudden Release of Pressure)
B. Summary of this lesson
In this 3-day lesson (2 for content, and a 3rd day for a lengthy assessment),
students explore the role of gasses and gas pressure in determine the eruption
characteristics of major volcano types. While students can make reasonable
assumptions about the power behind volcanic eruptions, they may not
understand the role of atmospheric pressure in containing them. In the spirit
of pending legislation on the adoption of NGSS in California, we’ve included
this introduction to Newton’s Third Law to explain how opposite and equal
forces have relevance to Earth science, materials, and geology.
In this lesson, 6th graders will gain an appreciation for the massive forces that
held Mt. St. Helens together despite immense pressure of magma building up
under the surface of the volcano before its 1980 eruption. Once the
earthquake and landslide happened, only atmospheric pressure was pressing
down on the pressurized magma, which was no longer enough force to keep
the mountain from exploding.
Generative Question(s): Why did Mt. St. Helens explode with so much force?
(Why does a stratovolcano’s eruption result in an explosion of gases and rock,
instead of lava plumes?)
C. Objective(s)/Learning Goal(s)/ Key Student Learning(s) of this lesson
Students will understand (content knowledge):
1.
2.
3.
4.
English-to-Metric Conversion
Use of Conversion Factors
Effects of Pressure Changes, and
Newton’s Third Law
Created by San Lorenzo Unified teachers (2012):
Linda Preminger, Julie Ramirez, Marilyn Stewart, and Lawrence Yano
IC Lessons
Volcanoes
This is lesson _5_ of _5__in this IC
Students will be able to (process skills):
1. Make a prediction of the response to sudden release of pressure in
substances with high and low gas content.
2. Describe where areas of high and low pressure are in a given situation.
3. Build on ability to predict the shape of volcano (shield or composite) by the
gas content of the magma.
4. Locate volcanoes on a world map using latitude and longitude.
5. Describe the different volcanic eruptions by their explosivity index (VEI).
6. Connect the location of volcanoes in subduction zones with the type of
magma (thick or thin) and shape (shield or composite) and their explosivity
(gentle or violent) and make a statement about the relative danger to
human life.
D. Teacher Background Knowledge for this lesson
Students do not encounter California State Science Standards related to
Newton’s Laws of Motion until 8th Grade, but, as with heat transfer, density,
and buoyancy, some understanding of physical properties is required to
understand the 6th Grade Standards associated with Earth Science.
Students are often under the misconception that air doesn’t weigh anything.
This misconception can be dispelled in a simple classroom experiment. Then
we’ll move on quickly to demonstrate Newton’s Third Law, and gain some
appreciation for the effects of atmospheric pressure and the changes that can
occur when a sudden pressure differential is experienced.
In this lesson students will:
1) Predict and then test: Weight of an empty balloon vs. an inflated balloon
2) Use an inflated balloon to create a simple balloon rocket
3) Calculate the weight of the air putting force on the surface area of the
volcano
4) Watch a classroom demonstration of a sudden decrease in pressure and
observe the effects of atmospheric pressure
5) Watch the explosion of Mt. St. Helens in the time-release photos of 1980.
Created by San Lorenzo Unified teachers (2012):
Linda Preminger, Julie Ramirez, Marilyn Stewart, and Lawrence Yano
IC Lessons
Volcanoes
This is lesson _5_ of _5__in this IC
E. Prior knowledge that students need to understand this lesson - with an assessment to
determine what they already know (if appropriate).
Students need to know how to use a triple-beam balance or electronic scale.
Students should have familiarity with metric units of mass, distance, and
volume.
Students should have had some experience converting units of measure, both
within the metric system, and also from English to metric.
F. Standards covered in this lesson
Current California Science Standards
6th Grade Earth Science 1a,d and e
8th Grade Physical Science - Forces: 2a, b, d, e and f
NGSS
ESS 1.4, ESS 2.3 and 2.4
MS-PS3.C: Relationship Between Energy and Forces
 When two objects interact, each one exerts a force on the other that
can cause energy to be transferred to or from the object. (MS-PS3-2)
MS-PS2-4:
 Construct and present arguments using evidence to support the claim
that gravitational interactions are attractive and depend on the
masses of interacting objects.
Crosscutting Concepts: Cause and Effect; Systems and System Models
Science & Engineering Practices
 Designing and Using Models
 Analyzing and Interpreting Data
 Constructing Explanations and Designing Solutions
CCSS that apply
ELA/Literacy - RST.6-8.1-4, 6-8.7-8, WHST 6-8.2, SL 8.5
Created by San Lorenzo Unified teachers (2012):
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IC Lessons
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Mathematics – 6.RP 1-3
G. Suggested time to complete this lesson: 150-180 minutes total ( Three 50 minutes or
two 90 minute classes)
H. Materials Used in this lesson typed in a bulleted list with quantities (e.g., 10 beakers; water –
2 liters)
1 Set per Table Group
 Pictures of different types of volcanoes, one laminated set for each table
group (pictures from Viscosity Probe can be enlarged and copied)
 Plastic straw; 3-4 meter length of firm cord (not too fuzzy). Plastic lanyard
material would work nicely.
Teacher demonstrations:
 Several items where enclosure of pressurized gases might be evident:
o Variety of inflated and uninflated balloons and/or soccer balls,
including 3 new 10” balloons for each table group
o Can of soda
o Bottle of fizzy water
o Liter bottle of Diet Coke; package of plain Mentos; 6-inch piece of stiff
tubing or narrow plastic bottle; 2” x 3” piece firm cardboard or plastic
 For atmospheric pressure:
o 1 empty soda can
o Water, ice
o Hot plate or Bunsen burner and stand
o Shallow aluminum pan
o Tongs
 Technology for showing YouTube Videos of 1980 Mt. St. Helens Eruption:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pGImksoOwtU&feature=fvwrel
http://www.youtube.com/watch?NR=1&v=fmsxmbVYMHo&feature=endscreen
Created by San Lorenzo Unified teachers (2012):
Linda Preminger, Julie Ramirez, Marilyn Stewart, and Lawrence Yano
IC Lessons
Volcanoes
This is lesson _5_ of _5__in this IC
I. Materials Prep for this lesson
Copy 1 set per student of these documents:
 Atmospheric Pressure Reading from Wikipedia
 Newton’s Third Law and A Day at the Races
 Volcano and Gas Pressure – Partner Quiz
J. Lesson Plan – detailed, numbered, step-by-step plans.
Step 1: WarmUp
Teacher Describes: “When Mt. St. Helens erupted on May 18, 1980 the
eruption was preceded by an earthquake caused by moving magma. Then a
massive landslide decreased the outside pressure on the north face of the
mountain, resulting in an eruption which blasted 0.7 mi3 of rock, ash, gases,
and volcanic debris into the air.”
“To understand how the eruption was affected by a decrease in pressure,
we’d have to understand how much all that rock weighed, and how much
force it exerted downward on the mountain. We’d also have to understand
how much atmospheric pressure was pressing down on the mountain. The
atmospheric pressure didn’t change, so once the rock slid away, there was
enough difference in pressure for the magma’s pressure to overcome the
atmospheric pressure, and produce the massive explosion.
“What’s atmospheric pressure? Does air have weight? Mass? (Expect
answers of “no”.) How could we find out? Have balloons and a digital scale
visible for students, and ask for their suggestions.
Step 2:
T: “First let’s weigh an empty balloon. Then we’ll blow up the balloon and
mass it again.”
Created by San Lorenzo Unified teachers (2012):
Linda Preminger, Julie Ramirez, Marilyn Stewart, and Lawrence Yano
IC Lessons
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Allow students 5 minutes to make a prediction, discuss it with table
partners, and write it down as their warmup for the day.
Students will observe a measurable weight, and announce it to the class.
They will need to be aware that this observable weight is just the difference
between the added weight of air inside the pressure of the balloon, and the
same volume of air at regular atmospheric pressure. But the effects of
atmospheric pressure will be clear enough in a moment! Inflate a second
balloon, but hold it with fingers, rather than tying in a knot.
Step 3: Student Reading
T: “Let’s read this selection from Wikipedia to understand why there is
pressure inside the balloon.” This selection will be reprinted for student
use, and read aloud in class.
“So let’s see what happens with the ________g of air under pressure once
we release that pressure.”
Students read the selected text. Ideally they would do this in a lab where
computers and internet access were readily available. As that situation
does not currently exist in the science lab at our schools, we’ve chosen to
make camera-ready copies available as attachments in this IC.
Step 4: A Day at the Races
Students will make a prediction about what will happen when the air inside
an inflated balloon is allowed to escape suddenly. Release the second
inflated balloon, and ask students to explain why it flies around the room.
Then follow the directions in the handout to create a balloon rocket. We’ll
be using the Activity from this website to help students with minimal
physics experience understand Newton’s Third Law:
http://swift.sonoma.edu/education/newton/newton_3/html/newton3.htm
l
Created by San Lorenzo Unified teachers (2012):
Linda Preminger, Julie Ramirez, Marilyn Stewart, and Lawrence Yano
IC Lessons
Volcanoes
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Read the website for further notes to teachers on student perceptions and
misconceptions when first being introduced to Newton’s Third Law.
Break here if you are teaching 2 50-minute periods, otherwise continue.
Day Two:
Students will now calculate the amount of air pressure exerted at 8,0009,000 ft elevation atmospheric pressures to determine the weight of the air
sitting atop Mt. St. Helens as the magma created a bulge on its north face in
1980. There are many calculations that could be performed, so this section
of the lesson could have many extensions to make it appropriate for older
students. For now, we are focused just on how the sudden absence of
tension force and weight of the rock after the Mt. St. Helens landslide
allowed the pressurized magma to overcome atmospheric pressure to blow
up the volcano.
Step 5:
Teacher: “To see what happened to Mt. St. Helens in 1980, let’s take a look
at this diagram (Show students the diagram at this website, which shows
the magma cryptodome, nearly exposed and just under the surface, after
the north-facing bulge slides away):
http://mountsthelens.com/history-1.html
Step 6:
“This website tells us the landslide took place over 24 square miles. And
commonly accepted tables of atmospheric pressure give us data as to the
amount of air pressure present at elevations of 8000- 9000 ft above sea
level. Mt. St. Helens was over 9000 feet high before the eruption, and the
Created by San Lorenzo Unified teachers (2012):
Linda Preminger, Julie Ramirez, Marilyn Stewart, and Lawrence Yano
IC Lessons
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bulge on its North facing slope was at an elevation of between 8000 and
9000 feet.”
“First, let’s convert 24 square miles to square meters.”
Students will work through the problem on their worksheets.
Atmospheric pressure ground level is 1.03 kilograms per square centimeter,
but only 0.768 kilograms per square centimeter at 8,000 feet of elevation,
and even less at 9,000 feet – just 0.739 kg/cm2.
“Let’s calculate the weight of the air per square meter pressing down at
9,000 feet. That’s 100 times bigger, but in each direction, so we’ll need to
multiply cm2 x 100 x 100, to get meters squared. Then we’ll need to
multiply that x 100 x 100 again, to get km2.”
𝟎. 𝟕𝟑𝟗𝒌𝒈 𝟏𝟎𝟎𝒄𝒎 ∙ 𝟏𝟎𝟎𝒄𝒎 𝟏𝟎𝟎 𝒎𝒆𝒕𝒆𝒓𝒔 ∙ 𝟏𝟎𝟎 𝒎𝒆𝒕𝒆𝒓𝒔
∙
∙
𝒄𝒎𝟐
𝟏 𝒎𝒆𝒕𝒆𝒓𝟐
𝟏 𝒌𝒊𝒍𝒐𝒎𝒆𝒕𝒆𝒓𝟐
. 𝟕𝟑𝟗 ∙ 𝟏𝟎𝟎 ∙ 𝟏𝟎𝟎 ∙ 𝟏𝟎𝟎 ∙ 𝟏𝟎𝟎
=
𝟏 𝒌𝒊𝒍𝒐𝒎𝒆𝒕𝒆𝒓𝟐
Teacher will walk students through the calculation and the use of the
conversion factors, scaffolding their recollection of metric equivalents, and
the meaning of prefixes “centi-” and “kilo-”.
Final answer is:
𝟕𝟑, 𝟗𝟎𝟎, 𝟎𝟎𝟎 𝒌𝒈
𝒌𝒎𝟐
So what?
Step 7: Students will likely not have an understanding that:
a) This is a lot of pressure
Created by San Lorenzo Unified teachers (2012):
Linda Preminger, Julie Ramirez, Marilyn Stewart, and Lawrence Yano
IC Lessons
Volcanoes
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b) Overcoming it requires even more pressure. Students already have an
understanding that a high percentage of silica in magma makes the
magma thick and sticky. Although we can’t demonstrate the explosive
force of a volcano in the classroom, what we can demonstrate is the
forceful pressure of the atmosphere by suddenly removing its
counteracting force.
Teacher: “When a soda can is unopened, the atmospheric pressure under
which the liquid inside was filled presses outward, keeping the can in its
typical shape. If we were to shake it, nothing would happen. The pressure
of the air outside quickly presses on the bubbles that form inside, and
extinguishes them before they can form. And the can is sealed with strong
materials. What happens if we suddenly release the pressure inside the can
by opening it?”
Students will likely predict that, just like the balloon rocket flew, the
contents inside will “erupt” as soon as the pressure is released.
T: “Now consider an empty can. What would happen if you suddenly
removed ALL pressure from the inside of the can? Look at this picture:
Show it on the website:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Atmospheric_pressure
“This plastic bottle was sealed at
approximately 14,000 feet altitude,
and was crushed by the increase in
atmospheric pressure (at 9,000 feet
and 1,000 feet) as it was brought
down towards sea level.” Why did
it collapse?
“Remember Newton’s Third Law: For every action, there is an opposite and
equal reaction. More force on the outside, and less force on the inside
Created by San Lorenzo Unified teachers (2012):
Linda Preminger, Julie Ramirez, Marilyn Stewart, and Lawrence Yano
IC Lessons
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causes the bottle to be compressed inward as the air pressure tries to
equalize.”
Step 8:
Teacher: “Now, let’s see what happens if we remove the pressure from
inside an empty soda can. What do you predict will happen?”
At this point, perform the demonstration that Paul Hewitt refers to as
“Thermodynamics Dramatized.” This is being presented to students not for
its capacity to explain heat exchange, but to demonstrate the impact of
atmospheric pressure.
Step 9:
“Let’s find out how much pressure is on this can.
Calculate the surface area of the cylinder in square centimeters.”
height: apprx 12 cm
radius : apprx 3.25 cm
[𝟐 ∙ 𝝅𝟑. 𝟐𝟓𝟐 ] + (𝟏𝟐 ∙ 𝟔. 𝟓) = 𝟏𝟒𝟒. 𝟑 𝒄𝒎𝟐
Multiply this times 1.03kg/cm2 , which is the force of atmospheric pressure at
sea level. Teachers might want to adjust the multiplier, depending on air
pressure for their own elevations. Our schools are very close to sea level.
𝟏𝟒𝟒. 𝟑 𝒄𝒎𝟐 ∙ 𝟏. 𝟎𝟑
𝒌𝒈
= 𝟏𝟒𝟖. 𝟔 𝒌𝒈
𝒄𝒎𝟐
Step 10:
Then release all the pressure inside the can so students can observe what
148.6 kg of pressure outside does to the can when there is an absence of
equal, counter-acting pressure inside.
Created by San Lorenzo Unified teachers (2012):
Linda Preminger, Julie Ramirez, Marilyn Stewart, and Lawrence Yano
IC Lessons
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Have a shallow pan of icy-cold water standing ready. On the hot plate heat
about 3-4 g of water inside the clean soda can until boiling. It is okay if
there is still a small amount of water inside, but you need to develop a
vigorous boil to fill the can with steam. When the water has nearly boiled
away, grab the can with tongs and quickly invert it and place it upside-down
in the pan of icy water. When done correctly, the can will implode from
atmospheric pressure, with a loud bang, and instantaneous crushing. See
this website for a demo of success. Also notice that when you pull the can
from the ice water, a lot of water will have entered the can, due to the
equalization of air pressure inside and out.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vcsxB5dKJMg
The effect is quite dramatic, so prepare students, such as those with autism,
and permit them to sit far away from the source of the sound.
Teacher says, “Tomorrow, we’ll put all of this information about gas
pressure and its sudden release, to see if we can figure out the amount of
pressure that had to be overcome by the magma inside Mt. St. Helens for
such a cataclysmic explosion to take place.”
Day 3: Assessment
Third and final session for this lesson is an assessment that asks students to
relate what they have learned about subduction zones and hot spots; shield
and stratovolcanoes; geographic locations of each with respect to tectonic
plate boundaries; and the physics of viscosity and gas pressure. Their task is
to assess the shape of three identified volcanoes, and based on all their
inferred features, describe which of the three is likely to produce the most
explosive eruption.
K. Vocabulary words – key vocabulary words that are targeted or taught as part of the lesson.
(Understanding these words is essential for students to understand the key concepts of this
lesson.)
 Plate tectonics
Created by San Lorenzo Unified teachers (2012):
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IC Lessons

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Volcanoes
This is lesson _5_ of _5__in this IC
explosivity index
subduction zones
stratovolcano
mid-ocean ridges
balanced and unbalanced forces
high pressure, low pressure
mass
weight
volume
L. Potential Pitfalls for: a. student understanding; b. laboratory mishaps and common procedural
errors; c. academic vocabulary issues, etc.
Currently not available
M. Differentiation: Modifications for English Learners, advanced learners, struggling learners, etc.
Encourage students on their own time to explore other science videos and
experiments having to do with the sudden release of pressure. The heat
exchange associated with the sudden release of pressure can be confounding.
For example, see this video on the formation of a cloud inside a soda bottle:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wagrbfKV5bE
The effect is similar to spraying your computer keyboard with a can of
compressed air. If you hold down the valve for several seconds, the can
becomes quite cold, and can even form condensation or frost on the outside.
Expect questions like, “I’ve read that when gas pressure is suddenly released,
the temperature of the gas drops as it condenses and makes a cloud. How is it
possible that the ash cloud of Mt. St. Helens was still so hot? Wouldn’t the
temperature be colder that on the inside of the volcano?” Challenge students
to pursue research, to find out how hot the inside of the volcano might have
been before the eruption!
Created by San Lorenzo Unified teachers (2012):
Linda Preminger, Julie Ramirez, Marilyn Stewart, and Lawrence Yano
IC Lessons
Volcanoes
This is lesson _5_ of _5__in this IC
N. Please list all worksheets used in this lesson.
 Atmospheric Pressure Reading from Wikipedia (See attached)
 Newton’s Third Law and A Day at the Races (See attached)
O. Please list all assessments that require a separate sheet.
Volcanoes and Gas Pressure – Partners Quiz (See attached)
P. Photos/Illustrations
http://kids.discovery.com/games/build-play/volcano-explorer
Q. Other Resources
Created by San Lorenzo Unified teachers (2012):
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From Wikipedia®
Air pressure
Main article: Atmospheric pressure
Once inflated with regular, atmospheric air, the air inside the balloon will have a greater air
pressure than the original atmospheric air pressure.
Air pressure, technically, is a measurement of the amount of
collisions against a surface at any time. In the case of balloon, it's
supposed to measure how many particles at any in any given time
space collide with the wall of the balloon and bounce off.
However, since this is near impossible to measure, air pressure
seems to be easier described as density. The similarity comes from
the idea that when there are more molecules in the same space,
more of them will be heading towards a collision course with the
wall.
Contemporary illustration of the first flight by Professor Jacques Charles, December 1,
1783
The first concept of air pressure within a balloon that is necessary to know is that air pressures "try"
to even out. With all the bouncing against the balloon wall (both interior and exterior) there will be
a certain amount of expansion/contraction. As air pressure itself is a description of the total forces
against an object, each of these forces, on the outside of the balloon, causes the balloon to contract a
tiny bit, while the inside forces cause the balloon to expand. With this knowledge, one would
immediately assume that a balloon with high air pressure inside would expand based on the high
amount of internal forces, and vice versa.
This would make the inside and outside air pressures equal.
However, balloons have a certain elasticity to them that some needs to be taken into account. When
you stretch a balloon, you are filling it with potential energy. When you let it go, the potential
energy is turned into kinetic energy and the balloon snaps back into its original position (though
perhaps a little stretched out).
When you fill up a balloon with air, the balloon is being stretched. While the balloon is constantly
releasing kinetic energy in an attempt to contract, it is also being pushed back out by the constant
bouncing of the internal air molecules.
Basically, the internal air has to exert force not only to counteract the external air to keep the air
pressures "even", but it also has to counteract the natural contraction of the balloon. Therefore, it
requires more air pressure (more force) than the air outside the balloon wall.[17”
Created by San Lorenzo Unified teachers (2012):
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Newton’s Third Law:
Our daily experiences might lead us to think that forces are always
applied by one object on another. For example, a horse pulls a buggy,
a person pushes a grocery cart, or a magnet attracts a nail. In each of
these examples a force is exerted on one body by another body. It
took Sir Isaac Newton to realize that things are not so simple, not so
one-sided. True, if a hammer strikes a nail, the hammer exerts a force
on the nail (thereby driving it into a board). Yet, the nail must also
exert a force on the hammer since the hammer’s state of motion is
changed and, according to the First Law, this requires a net (outside)
force. This is the essence of Newton’s Third Law: Whenever one
object exerts a force on a second object, the second object exerts an
equal and opposite force on the first object. This law is often stated:
For every action there is an equal and opposite reaction. However, it
is important to understand that the action force and the reaction force
are acting on different objects.
Try this: Press the side of your hand against the edge of a table. Notice
how your hand becomes distorted. Clearly, a force is being exerted on
it. You can see the edge of the desk pressing into your hand; you can
feel the desk exerting a force on your hand. Now press harder. The
harder you press the harder the desk pushes back on your hand.
Remember this important point: You can only feel the forces being
exerted on you, not the forces you exert on something else. So, it is the
force the desk is exerting on you that you see and feel in your hand.
It is often difficult to visualize how an inanimate object (such as a desk, floor, or wall) can exert
force. How do they do it? The fact is that all objects, to some degree, are elastic. It is easy to
visualize a stretched rubber band exerting a force on a wad of paper and causing it to fly across the
room. Other materials may not stretch as easily as a rubber band, however all objects stretch (or
compress) when a force is exerted on them, and in return they react.
Hypothesis – Newton’s Third Law of Motion
Make a prediction: When an inflated balloon, suspended from a tightly stretched piece of fishing
line is released into the air, the balloon will __________________________________________
_____________________________________________________________________________
because ______________________________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________________________________
Activity #1: A Day at the Races
Created by San Lorenzo Unified teachers (2012):
Linda Preminger, Julie Ramirez, Marilyn Stewart, and Lawrence Yano
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In this experiment you will create a balloon rocket! You will figure out how to shoot the balloon
from the back of your classroom and hit the whiteboard with it at the front of the room. You will do
this using a fishing line as a track for the balloon to follow.
Materials
You will need the following items for this experiment:
• balloons (one for each team)
• plastic straws (one for each team)
• tape (cellophane or masking)
• fishing line, 10 meters in length
• a stopwatch
• a measuring tape
Procedure
This is a race. The race will be timed and a winner determined.
1. Divide into groups of at least five students.
2. Attach one end of the fishing line to the blackboard with tape. Have one teammate hold the
other end of the fishing line so that it is taut and roughly horizontal. The line must be held
steady and may not be moved up or down during the experiment.
3. Have one teammate blow up a balloon and hold it shut with his or her fingers. Have another
teammate tape the straw along the side of the balloon. Thread the fishing line through the
straw and hold the balloon at the far end of the line.
4. Assign one teammate to time the event. The balloon should be let go when the time keeper
yells “Go!” Observe how your rocket moves toward the blackboard.
5. Have another teammate stand right next to the blackboard and yell “Stop!” when the rocket
hits its target. If the balloon does not make it all the way to the blackboard, “Stop!” should be
called when the balloon stops moving. The timekeeper should record the flight time.
6. Measure the exact distance the rocket traveled. Calculate the average speed at which the
balloon traveled. To do this, divide the distance traveled by the time the balloon was “in
flight.” Fill in your results for Trial 1 in the Table below.
7. Each team should conduct two more races and complete the sections in the Table for
Trials 2 and 3. Then calculate the average speed for the three trials to determine your team’s
race entry time.
Distance (cm)
Time (sec)
Trial 1
Trial 2
Trial 3
Average:
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Speed (cm/sec)
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The winner of this race is the team with the fastest average balloon speed.
Observations:
Make observations as you conduct your time trials, and complete your average speed calculations.
Remember that speed is a ratio, and that the unit rate of centimeters per second should be calculated
the same way we calculated speed when we did The Great Viscosity Race.
________________________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________________________
____________________________________________________________________
Conclusion: Reject or Accept Your Hypothesis:
Write your conclusion in one or two complete sentences. Do NOT change your hypothesis to make
your conclusion “correct.” Being right or being wrong is much less important than using the
evidence from your observations to support or disclaim your prediction, and show what you learned
in the process.
________________________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________________________
____________________________________________________________________
Created by San Lorenzo Unified teachers (2012):
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This is lesson _5_ of _5__in this IC
Name ________________________________________ Period ________ Date _______________
Volcanoes and Gas Pressure – Partners Quiz
1) With your table partners, use what you have just learned to calculate the following:
The area of the Mt. St. Helens landslide was about 24 square miles, or about 62.2
km2.
At an atmospheric pressure of 73,900,000 kg/km 2, what was the total force of
atmospheric pressure on the area of the landslide?
Use a separate piece of paper to explain your answer. You may use all of your
notes. Show all of your calculations, including conversion ratios. Be sure to use
the correct units of measure.
2) Based on things you have learned about volcano geography, viscosity and gas
pressure, which of the following examples of volcanoes would be the most likely to
produce the most highly explosive eruption?
Use Claim, 3 points of Evidence, and Reasoning to explain your choice.
Select the most relevant and important vocabulary from all of our lessons, and be
sure to include them in your response: plate tectonics, subduction, convergent,
divergent, transform, viscosity, silica, shield, stratovolcano, magma, lava, latitude,
longitude, VEI, pressure, Newton’s Third Law, convection, basalt, andesite.
Use your cooperative group strategies to include everyone’s thinking and work.
Mt. Cleveland, Alaska
Mauna Kea, Hawaii
Created by San Lorenzo Unified teachers (2012):
Linda Preminger, Julie Ramirez, Marilyn Stewart, and Lawrence Yano
Erta Ale, Ethiopia, Africa