How Do You Demonstrate Boyles Law To Children?
Boyle’s Law is a very simple principle, formulated in the 17th Century. It was the first “gas law,” and declares that Pressure (P) and Volume (V) are inversely proportional: a decrease in pressure creates an increase in volume. Although this may seem an abstract concept for children to understand, it is aptly demonstrated with materials found in any toy store or laboratory. Step 1 Blow up a balloon to half-size and place it inside the vacuum pump. Ask your students whether the balloon is going to get larger or smaller, as the air is removed. Turn on the pump. Step 2 Remove the air, decreasing the air pressure and increasing the balloon’s volume. This can be done until the balloon bursts. This will illustrate that volume increases in inverse proportion to air pressure: “For a fixed amount of gas kept at a fixed temperature, P and V are inversely proportional (while one increases, the other decreases).” Step 3 Next, squeeze some shaving cream into a glass beaker. Ask the children again w
