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Lab Report Format for Can Crush Lab

Title: Can Crush: The Effects of Air Pressure
Objective: To demonstrate the effects of air pressure on an aluminum can.
Materials:

empty aluminum soda can

shallow pan (baking, or pie pan, or storage bowl will do)

water

metric ruler (to measure depth of water)

stove top burner

two oven mitts or hot pads

Procedure:
Note: Read all the instructions for this lab before you begin working! Pre-reading the procedure
will give you a mental picture of what you will be doing and a better understanding of the
process.
1. Make sure there are no materials around the burner. Then turn on the stove top burner
to the highest setting.
2. Place shallow pan off to the side, on the counter, and pour water into the shallow pan to
a depth of two centimeters (approximately two ounces). You can measure using a metric
ruler to be sure the water is this deep.
3. Fill the soda can so that there is about 1 centimeter of water at the bottom. (This does
not have to be exact.)
4. Place the can carefully on the burner so that it stands up securely. Have the pan with
the water in it on the counter, near the burner.
5. Allow the water in the can to heat up until the water inside is boiling rapidly, and you see
steam rising from the opening of the can (this will take 3 to 5 minutes). Let it boil for
about 30 to 60 seconds.
6. Use the hot pads to remove the can from the burner. (Do so by placing one hot pad on
top of the can and lifting from the top. Then place the second hot pad on the bottom of
the can and, gripping at the bottom of the can, quickly put the can upside down in the
water in the pan.)

7. Observe and record what you see and hear.

8. Leave the can in the water for a moment. Measure the amount of water in the pan. Was
it more or less than when you began? Think about why.

Data:
1. What did you observe as the can containing water was heated on the burner?
____________________________________I observed that the can containing water
when heated did not immediately heat up but after a few minutes the _________the
cans water began to boil and steam rose up from the
opening._________________________
2. What did you observe after you turned the can upside down and placed it in the pan of
water? (We used the water so that air movement in and out of the can was stopped.)
______________________In the first couple of seconds I didnt see any change and in
a couple minutes the can began to suck up the water in the plate
________________________________________________
3. When you lifted the can, what did you find out about the amount of water in the can at
this point as compared to the starting point?
_______________The water that I had originally put along with the water I put so in total
I had more water._______________________________________________________
Analysis:
Things to consider: When air is heated, it expands, becoming less dense. That is, there will be
fewer molecules in a given volume of hot air than the same volume of cold air.
For example: When you heat the can on the burner, the air inside the can is heated, and
expands. The air that cannot be contained in the can escapes through the opening. As the water
is heated water vapor enters the air in the can and some of that escapes too, and we see
steam.
1. At the very beginning, when you put water into the empty can, was it really empty? What
was actually in the can as you added the water?
________________not really, the can had air molecules
inside.______________________________________________________
2. When you started the activity, the can was open to the air outside the can. How did the
air pressure inside the can compare to the air pressure outside the can? (equal, lower,
or, higher). In your own words, explain your response.

____________________________Equal because the air was free to flow

wherever.__________________________________________
3. Now re-read the note above ("Things to Consider"). After we heat the can, we have
expanding air inside the can, and some of it is leaving the can. Think about this in terms
of numbers of air molecules inside and outside the can. There should be a difference at
this point in the experiment between the air inside and outside the can.
After heating the can, where are there more air molecules - inside or outside the can?
__________________________Outside of the
can____________________________________________

4. Now, air pressure is related to the number of air molecules in a column of air or in a
volume of air (like inside the can and outside the can). Based on your answers in #3,
where is
a. the air pressure greatest? ________________Outside of the can, because there
is a much greater number of molecules.___________________________
b. the air pressure lowest? __Is inside the can because there is less
oxygen.___________________________________________
5. At this point, you inverted the can into the pan of water, preventing air from flowing in or
out of the can. What did you observe?
______________________I saw that the can was drawing in the water in the plate.
________________________________________________
Conclusion:
1. In your own words explain what happened to the can in terms of air pressure inside and
outside the can, based on your answer to #3, 4, and 5 above.
________________________________The air was not able to escape in or out of the
can and there is less oxygen causing the can to suck up the water.
______________________________________
2. Based on your experience in the lesson and in this lab, how was the can in the pan of
water similar to a mercury barometer?
______The mercury barometer is similar to when the can was in the pan the air
pressure presses down on the water forcing the water in the pan to go up into the
can.________________________________________________________________
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