# data[].attributes.body
Duckster Education

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.readable_text
Back to Biographies

Scientists and Inventors

Biographies of Scientists and Inventors

Benjamin Banneker - Scientist and astronomer from the 1700s who wrote a popular almanac.

Alexander Graham Bell - Invented the telephone.

Rachel Carson - Founder of environmental science.

George Washington Carver - Botanist who was called the "farmers best friend."

Francis Crick and James Watson - Discovered the structure of the DNA molecule.

Marie Curie - Physicist who discovered radioactivity.

Leonardo da Vinci - Inventor and artist from the Renaissance.

Charles Drew - Doctor and scientist who helped create blood banks for World War II.

Thomas Edison - Invented the light bulb, phonograph, and the motion picture.

Albert Einstein - Came up with the Theory of Relativity and the equation E=mc².

Henry Ford - Invented the Model T Ford, the first mass produced car.

Ben Franklin - Inventor and Founding Father of the United States.

Robert Fulton - Built the first commercially successful steamboat.

Galileo - First used the telescope to view the planets and stars.

Jane Goodall - Studied chimpanzees in the wild for many years.

Johannes Gutenberg - Invented the printing press.

Stephen Hawking - Known for Hawking Radiation and writing A Brief History in Time.

Antoine Lavoisier - Father of modern chemistry.

James Naismith - Invented the sport of basketball.

Isaac Newton - Discovered the theory of gravity and the three laws of motion.

Louis Pasteur - Discovered pasteurization, vaccines, and founded the science of germ theory.

Eli Whitney- Invented the cotton gin.

The Wright Brothers - Invented the first airplane.

Types of Scientists

Scientists study the world around us using the scientific method. They perform experiments to find out how nature works. While we often talk about a person being a "scientist", there are actually many different types of scientists. This is because most scientists study and become experts in a specific field of science.

There are literally hundreds of scientific fields of study. We will just list a few of the types of scientists here:

Astronomer - Studies the planets, stars, and galaxies.

Botanist - Studies plant life.

Chemist - Studies chemistry and the behavior, properties, and composition of matter.

Cytologist - Studies cells.

Ecologist - Studies the relationship between living organisms and the environment.

Entomologist - Studies insects.

Geneticist - Studies genes, DNA, and the hereditary characteristics of living organisms.

Geologist - Studies the properties of matter that makes up Earth as well as the forces that shaped it.

Marine biologist - Studies the living organisms that live in the ocean and other bodies of water.

Microbiologist - Studies microscopic life forms such as bacteria and protists.

Meteorologist - Studies the Earth's atmosphere including the weather.

Nuclear physicist - Studies the interactions and make up of the atom.

Ornithologist - Studies birds.

Paleontologist - Studies prehistoric life and fossils including dinosaurs.

Pathologist - Studies diseases caused by pathogens such as bacteria and viruses.

Seismologist - Studies earthquakes and the movements of the Earth's crust.

Zoologist - Studies animals.

What is the difference between a scientist and an inventor?

In general terms a scientist is a person who studies nature and makes theories and discoveries as to how nature works using the scientific method. An inventor takes the laws and theories of science and puts them to practical use by humans. Many people are both scientists and inventors. For example, Isaac Newton was a scientist when he wrote about the theory of gravity, but he was also an inventor when he made the first working reflecting telescope.

Try our Scientists and Inventors Crossword Puzzle or word search.

Works Cited

Back to Biographies for Kids

Back to Science for Kids

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
Learn about the biographies of famous scientists and inventors such as Albert Einstein, Isaac Newton, Galileo, and Marie Curie. These men and women made discoveries that changed the world forever.

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.readable_text
Science

Science is not just a body of knowledge. Science is also a process of investigation. It is concerned with finding out about the world in a systematic way.

An important part of science education provides students with the processes and skills required to investigate and acquire knowledge about themselves and their environment.

The investigation process includes:

Observing

Proposing explanations

Predicting outcomes

Testing predictions

Modifying understandings

Making predictions supported by testing

Explaining and applying understandings

Simple Experiment: Air Taking Up Space

What is air? What are its' characteristics?

Using this simple experiment, we investigated an interesting characteristic of air.

You will need a funnel; empty bottle; balloon, masking tape, rubber band, water.

{Observe, Predict Outcomes, Test Predictions}

Put the funnel into the mouth of the bottle and before pouring water into the funnel, let children predict what will happen when they pour water into the funnel. (N & M predicted that the water will flow into the bottle).

Pour the water into the funnel and observe, the water flows into the bottle.

{Observe, Predict Outcome, Test Predictions}

Now, secure the funnel onto the bottle so there is no space between the two.

I found it very difficult to seal up the bottle. I tried using some clay at first, but that failed miserably. In the end I had to stretch a balloon over the top of the bottle; cut a tiny hole in the stretched balloon to put the funnel into; put the funnel on top of the bottle through that tiny hole; tape the funnel onto the bottle with masking tape and secure the funnel to the bottle again with a very large elastic band.

Before pouring water into the funnel and now sealed bottle, let children predict what will happen when they pour water into the funnel. (N & M predicted that the water will flow into the bottle, as it had done before the bottle was sealed).

Test predictions by pouring water into the funnel and now sealed up bottle.

Observe that the water remains in the funnel does not flow into the bottle. (N & M exclaimed, "The water is stuck!" . Using their fingers, they even tried to push the water into the bottle, but the water still didn't go into the bottle.)

{Propose Explanations}

Let children propose why the water has remained in the funnel instead of flowing into the (sealed) bottle.

Discuss what has changed; the bottle has been sealed off so things can't get out.

Now that the bottle is sealed, air can't get out. Water can't get into the bottle because it's already full of air. Before we sealed up the bottle, air could easily get out of the bottle and make space for the water poured in through the funnel.

{Modify Understandings}

Although we can't see air, we know it's there and it takes up space.

N & M: 4 years, 1 month

Pauline & Lessons Learnt Journal is all about life with kids. Pauline is an Aussie mum and teacher who shares her love for play, math games, writing and reading activities. She believes that #playmatters, values curiosity & wonder, wisdom, obedience and respect. She also needs naps. When not blogging, she may be found virtually hoarding on Pinterest, trying to decide which Instagram filter to apply, or compulsively refreshing her Facebook feed.

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.title
Science: Simple Experiment - Air Takes Up Space

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
Science is not just a body of knowledge. Science is also a process of investigation. It is concerned with finding out about the world in a systematic way. An important part of science education provides students with the processes and skills required to investigate and acquire knowledge about themselves and their environment.

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.readable_text
We love simple science experiments at our house! The kids love getting to study science concepts through hands-on activities best and are always excited when we have a fun science activity to try. We have been studying air in our science time and took a few minutes to talk about how air is always around us, but we can't always see it. This science experiment for kids is quick and easy!

Simple Science Experiment for Kids: Testing for Air

Since air is invisible, it can be a tricky science topic for kids. You can feel air around you when it is windy and you can see leaves move, but you still can't see air by itself. In order to help the kids "see air" and realize that air is everywhere we did a quick science activity to test for air. Testing for air is a really simple science experiment for kids. With just a few household items, you could set up this experiment in less than five minutes.
You will need:

Bowl with water

empty drink can or an empty, clear plastic bottle

Directions:
Push the can or bottle into a bowl of water so it begins to fill up. Watch what happens to the water.

You will see bubbles as the water pushes out air from inside the bottle. Most things that look empty are really full of air. So easy and your kids will be amazed!

I took a video of us performing the simple science experiment for the first time. You'll notice that I didn't give them the answer, but gave them thinking time and rephrased my question to help them. I want my kids to learn how to think and work it out. I knew they could get to the answer since we've been talking about the science concepts, but you'll notice that they were talking so fast that other science terms came out. My point? Give the kids plenty of time to think and form their answer before you swoop in and tell them.

Want more air experiments for kids? Check out the book Science with Air!
Looking for more simple science experiments? Here are a few of our popular science posts:
Simple Science: Observing Worms
Simple Science: How to Make a Volcano
Simple Science: How to Make a Sundial

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.title
Simple Science Experiment for Kids: Testing for Air

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
Pin2K Share3 Tweet +121 StumbleShares 2KWe love simple science experiments at our house! The kids love getting to study science concepts through hands-on activities best and are always excited when we have a fun science activity to try. We have been studying air in our science time and took a few minutes to talk about [...]

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.readable_text
Can you make water float? We bet you can. No, you don't need to be a wizard or a witch. You don't need to cast a spell. There's nothing magic about it at all, in fact. You can make water float using good, ol' fashioned, awesome science. The "trick" to this experiment is air pressure.

In this experiment, you're basically going to pour water in a glass, put a slip of paper over the glass, turn the glass upside down, and watch as air pressure keeps the paper in place-and the water "floating" in the glass.

If you want to get really deep into this experiment, you can try to increase the amount of water each time. Or keep the same amount of water and decrease the size of your paper. Or go ahead and get a bucket and some cardboard and see if that will work. Fun times on a summer day for sure.

Here's Why It Works
Air abounds. It's everywhere. We breathe it, walk through it, jump against it. But air is almost constantly at war with, well, everything-even itself. We experience weather and wind because different stacks of air press against each other, pushing the layers in different directions.

That gentle breeze? That hurricane gust? That's air at war with itself.

Where there's air, there's air pressure. It's what makes airplanes fly and keeps your car tires rolling nimbly down the road. Or, in this case, it's what makes water float.

In the first part of the experiment your lab partner will simply pour water out of a glass and watch gravity pull the water down and into the sink. The water fell. Surprise, surprise. You knew that was going to happen.

Ahh, but enter air pressure-the force that bests gravity in this experiment.

In the next part of the experiment-when you'll add a card to the top of the glass and then turn the glass upside down-the air pressure under the glass presses up against the card, creating a force strong enough to cancel out the effects of gravity and keep the water in the glass. Like I said, air pressure is everywhere.

A small glass of water

A sink or bathtub over which to do this experiment. Or just go outside. Or do it over the kitchen floor if you're really daring (and willing to clean). Up to you.

An index card or piece of construction paper large enough to cover the opening of the glass

Here's What You Do
1. Fill the glass with as much water as you'd like. No need to be precise. Now have your lab partner turn the glass upside down, or maybe over her head on a hot day. That's right. Go for it. See what happens. The water pours out, right?

2. Now let your junior mad scientist fill the glass again. No need to measure, although for this part, the more you add, the more difficult the experiment becomes. Maybe start half full and go from there.

3. Now that you have a half-filled glass of water, have your lab partner put a card or paper on top of it and press down firmly, while rotating the cup until it's upside down. Now, have your lab partner remove her hand, leaving the piece of paper in place. Did it work? Did the water remain in the glass? If this doesn't work for you right away, try a larger piece of paper, or less water and watch as the water stays in place.

Want More?
The faster an air particle is moving, the lower its pressure. It basically doesn't have time to exert force. Here's a fun party trick to test it out: The next time you have some helium balloons on hand, hold two of them by the strings until both are at eye level and about 6 inches apart from each other. Now blow hard in the space between them. Notice how the balloons touch? By blowing, you just decreased the air pressure between them so that the air pressure around the balloons forces them together. Air. At. War.
Did you make water float? Tell us in the comment section below! Mike Adamick is a stay at home dad and author of Dad's Book of Awesome Projects (Adams Media, 2013). He also writes for the Adventures in Learning science blog at PBS.org, and many other sites. You can find a copy of his book for $13.59 on Amazon.com. Photos by Mike Adamick. Excerpted from Dad's Book of Awesome Science Experiments by Mike Adamick. Copyright © 2014 F+W Media, Inc. Used by permission of the publisher. All rights reserved.

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.title
How to Make Water Float with Just Three Supplies

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
Can you make water float? We bet you can. No, you don't need to be a wizard or a witch. You don't need to cast a spell. There's nothing magic about it at all, in fact. You can make water float using good, ol' fashioned, awesome science.

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.readable_text
When humans and animals breathe, we give off an odorless gas called carbon dioxide, or CO ₂. Plants use this gas, along with sunlight, to make food-and oxygen too! This process is called photosynthesis. However, large amounts of CO ₂ are produced when cars and power plants burn coal, oil, and gasoline. This is bad because CO ₂ is the most important contributor to human-caused global warming.

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
When humans and animals breathe, we give off an odorless gas called carbon dioxide, or CO 2. Plants use this gas, along with sunlight, to make food-and oxygen too! This process is called photosynthesis. However, large amounts of CO 2 are produced when cars and power plants burn coal, oil, and gasoline.

# data[].attributes.body
Science Bob

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.readable_text
You will need

1 balloon (round ones will work, but the longer "airship" balloons work best)

1 long piece of kite string (about 10-15 feet long)

1 plastic straw

tape

What to do

1. Tie one end of the string to a chair, door knob, or other support.

2. Put the other end of the string through the straw.

3. Pull the string tight and tie it to another support in the room.

4. Blow up the balloon (but don't tie it.) Pinch the end of the balloon and tape the balloon to the straw as shown above. You're ready for launch.

5. Let go and watch the rocket fly!

How does it work?

So how does it work? It's all about the air...and thrust. As the air rushes out of the balloon, it creates a forward motion called THRUST. Thrust is a pushing force created by energy. In the balloon experiment, our thrust comes from the energy of the balloon forcing the air out. Different sizes and shapes of balloon will create more or less thrust. In a real rocket, thrust is created by the force of burning rocket fuel as it blasts from the rockets engine - as the engines blast down, the rocket goes up!

MAKE IT AN EXPERIMENT

The project above is a DEMONSTRATION. To make it a true experiment, you can try to answer these questions:

1. Does the shape of the balloon affect how far (or fast) the rocket travels?
2. Does the length of the straw affect how far (or fast) the rocket travels?
3. Does the type of string affect how far (or fast) the rocket travels? (try fishing line, nylon string, cotton string, etc.)
4. Does the angle of the string affect how far (or fast) the rocket travels?

Science Bob

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
You will need 1 balloon (round ones will work, but the longer "airship" balloons work best) 1 long piece of kite string (about 10-15 feet long) 1 plastic straw tape What to do Tie one end of the string to a chair, door knob, or other support.

# data[].attributes.body
Science Bob

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.title
BUILD A TABLETOP HOVERCRAFT! - ScienceBob.com

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
You will need An old CD or DVD disc A 9" balloon A pop-top cap from a liquid soap bottle or a water bottle A hot glue gu What to do If you are using the cap from a water bottle, cover the center hole of the CD with a piece of tape and poke ...

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.provider_name
Exploratorium: the museum of science, art and human perception

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.title
Science Activity: Make a Mini-Helicopter From Paper! | Exploratorium

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.provider_name
Exploratorium: the museum of science, art and human perception

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.title
Science Activity: Make a Mini-Helicopter From Paper! | Exploratorium

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.readable_text
In this lesson plan, adaptable for grades 3-12, students watch the BrainPOP movie Forces to learn about what force is and how forces, such as gravity, friction, and air resistance, affect movement. Then students apply their understanding of forces and motion by conducting an experiment in which they drop eggs with different-sized parachutes and predict the results. Students share their outcomes with the class.

Students will:

1. Brainstorm what they know about force.

2. Use the Make-a-Map tool to identify how force affects movement.

3. Conduct an experiment to test how air resistance slows a falling object and share their outcomes.

Vocabulary:

magnitude, vector, friction, velocity, acceleration, gravity

Preparation:

Preview the movie to plan for adaptations.

If lesson time is limited, cut out three squares (10"x10", 20"x20", and 30"x30") from the trash bags for each small group.

Print out Cause and Effect graphic organizer (one per student)

Lesson Procedure:

1. Ask students what they think causes things to move. They should recognize that force causes things to move. Younger students may not know this term, so you can explain that force is a push or a pull that affects an object's motion. You can even demonstrate by pulling or pushing something.

2. Display the Cause and Effect graphic organizer on the whiteboard. Ask students what causes motion to speed up. Write "speed up" in the first effect box on the upper right side. Write students responses in the first cause box on the upper left side. These may include and acceleration or words to describe these concepts. Now ask what causes movement to slow down. Write "slow down" in the lower effect box. Write responses in the cause box. These may include , , and air resistance or other words that describe these concepts.

3. Tell students that today they will watch a movie that explores the concept of force and how it affects motion. Explain that using what they learn, they will work in small groups to conduct an experiment about air resistance, a type of force.

4. Show the movie on the whiteboard to the whole class once through without pausing.

5. Next, if you have access to multiple computers, divide the class into pairs and have them open the Make-a-Map feature on individual computers. (Note: If limited access to computers, pairs can do this step offline using the Fishbone graphic organizer ).

6. Pairs watch the movie again within the Make-a-Map feature. As they watch, tell them to create concept maps identifying how force affects movement,pausing the movie as needed. Remind them that they can incorporate clips from the movie into their maps. When they are done, have each pair share their maps with another pair to ensure that they captured all the information.

7. Have each pair team up with another pair to conduct an air resistance egg drop experiment. Provide each group with a trash bag (or squares if you've cut them in advance), scissors, a ruler, three eggs, and three plastic bags. If you've not pre-cut the squares, have groups cut out different sized squares from the trash bag: 10"x10", 20"x20", and 30"x30".

8. Instruct the groups make three parachutes by tying a piece of string to the corners of each square and tying the other ends of the strings to a sandwich bag. Have them put one egg in each bag.

9. Have students predict which egg has the greatest chance of landing from a 10 foot drop without breaking. Have students explain why they believe this.

10. Now have groups test their predictions by dropping each egg parachute a distance of 10 feet from the floor. After groups have dropped all three of their parachutes, have groups discuss what happened. Ask them what forces were at work and how they affected the parachutes' motion. Have them contrast the largest parachute from the smaller ones.

11. Listen in as students discuss their experiments. Make sure that they recognize that gravity was the force that pulled the egg parachutes down causing them to accelerate, and air resistance was the force opposing gravity. They should know from the movie that when the air resistance equaled the gravity it caused the parachutes stopped accelerating and continue falling at a constant velocity.

12. Bring groups together. Have each group share their results, including their prediction. They will discover that the bigger the parachute the more air resistance it creates causing it slow down earlier.

Extension Activities:

Watch footage of a roller coaster and answer the questions about the forces at work in this Complete the Primary Source activity. Force activity page about acceleration and overall motion.

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.title
Forces Lesson Plan: Air Resistance Egg Drop Parachute Experiment | BrainPOP Educators

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
In this lesson plan, adaptable for grades 3-12, students watch the BrainPOP movie Forces to learn about what force is and how forces, such as gravity, friction, and air resistance, affect movement. Then students apply their understanding of forces and motion by conducting an experiment in which they drop eggs with different-sized parachutes and predict the...

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.title
The Magic School Bus S04E04 Goes On Air (Air Pressure)

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
Watch the video "The Magic School Bus S04E04 Goes On Air (Air Pressure)" uploaded by The Magic School Bus on Dailymotion.

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.readable_text
Air is all around us, but because we can't "see" it we often don't realize it's power. Because of this, experiments dealing with air pressure are fascinating and often leave us scratching our heads wondering how they work.

This experiment definitely falls into that category, because the results are likely different than one would initially guess. Because of this, make sure to ask your kids to hypothesize what will happen to the ping pong balls before you conduct the experiment.

Enjoy!

Air Pressure Impact on Ping Pong Balls Video
How Air Pressure Impacts Ping Pong Balls
Supplies Needed

2 Ping Pong Balls

String (2 piece of string each 2+ feet long)

Tape

Drinking Straw

Stationary Object to hand strings from (i.e. Door Frame, Shower Curtain, Clothes Drying Rack)

Experiment Instructions

Step 1 - Gather two ping pong balls, and cut two pieces of string that is 2 feet in length or longer (length will depend on where you are hanging the string from)

Step 2 - Tape one end of one piece of string to the first ping pong ball. Tape one end of the other piece of string to the second ping pong ball.

Step 3 - Hang the other end of the string to a stationary object. The objective is for the ping pong balls to hang freely in the air at the same level and about 4 inches apart.

Helpful Tip: We used a clothes drying rack. You could also tape them to a door frame or hand them to a shower curtain rod.

Step 4 - Make sure the ping pong balls hang in mid air at the same height about 4 inches apart.

Step 5 - Use a drinking straw to blow air directly in between the ping pong balls. Position yourself so the straw is level with the ping pong balls and about 4 to 5 inches behind them. What happens to the ping pong balls when you do this?

How Does the Experiment Work?

Air pressure is the secret to this experiment.

The faster air is moving the lower it's pressure is. Therefore, the air that you blow in between the ping pong balls has a lower pressure than the air on the outside of the ping pong balls.

Said another way, the air on the outside of the ping pong balls has a higher pressure than the air in between the ping pong balls. This high pressure air moves toward the lower pressure air and it pushes the ping pong balls together in the process.

More Science Fun

If you are looking for more experiments dealing with Air Pressure then you're in luck. Check out these other fun and simple experiments we've done that show the power of air.

I hope you enjoyed the experiment. Here's some printable instructions

Air Pressure Impact on Ping Pong Balls Science Experiment
Items Needed

2 Ping Pong Balls

String (2 piece of string each 2+ feet long)

Tape

Drinking Straw

Stationary Object to hand strings from (i.e. Door Frame, Shower Curtain, Clothes Drying Rack)

Instructions

1. Gather two ping pong balls, and cut two pieces of string that is 2 feet in length or longer (length will depend on where you are hanging the string from)

2. Tape one end of one piece of string to the first ping pong ball. Tape one end of the other piece of string to the second ping pong ball.

3. Hang the other end of the string to a stationary object. The objective is for the ping pong balls to hang freely in the air at the same level and about 4 inches apart. Helpful Tip: We used a clothes drying rack. You could also tape them to a door frame or hand them to a shower curtain rod.

4. Make sure the ping pong balls hang in mid air at the same height about 4 inches apart.

5. Use a drinking straw to blow air directly in between the ping pong balls. What happens to the ping pong balls when you do this?

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.title
Air Pressure Impact on Ping Pong Balls Science Experiment

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
Air is all around us, but because we can't "see" it we often don't realize it's power. Because of this, experiments dealing with air pressure are fascinating and often leave us scratching our heads wondering how they work. This experiment definitely falls into that category, because the results are likely different than one would initially...

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.readable_text
Have you seen those floating ball toys where you blow into one end and the ball "magically" floats above in place? Here's a way to create your own! You'll just need a bendy straw, paper, scissors, pen or pencil and (not pictured) tape and a pin pong ball or ball made of foil.

Trace a circle onto a piece of paper

Cut out the circle and make a cut, stopping halfway.

Make a tee pee or funnel shape out of the paper securing with tape. Cut a small hole out of the bottom and insert the short end of the straw.

Place tape around the outside of the "funnel" securing it to the straw.

If you feel like air might get through anywhere but the straw (or you test your ball and it's not working quite right) you can put some clay around the edge to seal it off a bit better.

Now put the long end in your mouth and blow slowly and steadily. The ball should float as long as your airstream is consistent. A ping pong ball works great but we made it work with a well formed foil ball. We wrapped foil around a felt ball (the felt ball didn't allow the air to flow evenly around it).

This post was originally part of our Summer Camp Material Themed Weeks. This was part of straw week where we shared an activity using straws each day.

(Visited 7,968 times, 97 visits today)

Allison Waken is a wife, mom of boys and Phoenix, AZ native. She has been creating inspiring content for All for the Boys since 2011. Allison loves travel, movies and spending as much time as possible with her family while she can!

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.title
Floating Ball Activity - All for the Boys

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
Have you seen those floating ball toys where you blow into one end and the ball "magically" floats above in place? Here's a way to create your own! You'll just need a bendy straw, paper, scissors, pen or pencil and (not pictured) tape and a pin pong ball or ball made of foil.

# data[].attributes.headline
Examples of Air Pressure in Everyday Life

# data[].attributes.subject
Examples of Air Pressure in Everyday Life

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.readable_text
Sticking Your Nose Where It Doesn't Belong!

by: Ted Beyer

At Educational Innovations, our management staff meets often to coordinate all of the goings-on here. All sorts of topics come up, both business related and science related.

More than two years ago, our Director of Operations, Ken Byrne, shared a story with us relating to his brand new travel-style coffee mug, which he had gotten as a gift. I am sure you have run into these things many times - an insulated vessel with a liquid/air-tight cap. The cap, of course, has a hole along one edge for you to drink your beverage.

The story was one of many great examples of air pressure in everyday life. It went like this -

He was trying to drink his coffee, but, every time he tried, nothing would come out. He kept thinking that he must be using his new mug incorrectly - perhaps he had missed an instruction or technique unique to this cup that was designed to help prevent spills or something. No, no, that could not be it - he could pour it out, easily enough, but whenever he brought it to his lips to drink - nothing...

Let me stop there for a moment - we'll get back to Ken's coffee in just a bit. But let's talk air pressure for a moment. If you were to try and pour the liquid out of the nearly air tight container, only a small amount would actually exit before the flow stopped. Why? Air pressure. The liquid departing the container would increase the volume of the air trapped behind the liquid in the container, lowering its pressure. That means that the air pressure in the room surrounding the container would actually be pushing the coffee into the container and holding it in place.

If you use our SS-1 Tornado Tube, you can show this principle quite easily. Simply set the experiment up by filling one soda bottle ¾ of the way up with water (add some food coloring if you like), screwing on the tornado tube, and then screwing another, empty, soda bottle to the other end. Once you have everything assembled, just turn it over quickly, and let it sit. A little water will drip into the empty bottle now located on the bottom, but the vast majority of the water will stay trapped in the upper bottle, held there by the difference in the air pressure in the two bottles. The air at the very top of the stack is at a lower pressure than the air at the bottom of the stack.

At this point, if you were doing this in a classroom setting, you could challenge your students to a race - let them do whatever they want to get the water from the top bottle to the other - short of taking the assembly apart. Usually this will involve a lot of shaking and the like. The best and fastest way to do it is to simply swirl the entire assembly a bit to get the water to create a vortex.

If you look carefully, you will discover that the vortex is actually hollow - air is being allowed to flow between the bottles through the center of the flow, allowing the air pressure in the two halves of the assembly to equalize, and thus the water to flow freely.

Oh - it's also really cool to watch, looks just like a tornado made of water - and is what gives the product its name. (Side note - it really is mesmerizing to watch - even if you don't happen to be teaching air pressure!)

Incidentally, if you ever need to empty a large bottle full of a water-like liquid, this same swirling motion is, by far, the fastest way to do it. I use the technique from time to time when cooking large batches of things for gatherings.

Ok - back to Ken and his coffee problems:

Coffee cup designers are not without scientific knowledge. They understand this air pressure problem as well as anyone else out there, and they provide a tiny vent hole, usually 180 degree around from the drink hole to allow the air pressure to equalize and allow the caffeine supply to flow freely, thus making sure to keep our Director of Operations coherent.

So what is going on with Ken's cup??

It took him a while to determine the cause of his coffee conundrum... It develops that the makers of this particular mug, fully aware that the cap would require an air vent, did in fact provide one. But instead of locating it on the edge of the lid, they located it closer to the middle of the lid. As fate would have it, the vent hole lined up perfectly with Ken's nose! As a result, when he attempted to take a drink, his nose would touch the vent, thus creating a near perfect seal that prevented any air flow, and effectively imprisoning his coffee.

When he told this story, we all immediately recognized that it was a great basis for a blog entry! We all encouraged him to write it up, but Ken is not exactly rolling in free time. In light of that "I'm too busy" excuse (I just don't think he wanted to do it, myself, but you be the judge), and in spite of the fact that I added a reminder to my manager's meeting for more than a year, it never got written. Still, the anecdote seemed too good to let die - and so here we are. Let's hope Ken's "nose for news" leads to other good blogs!

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.title
Examples of Air Pressure in Everyday Life | Educational Innovations

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
by: Ted Beyer At Educational Innovations, our management staff meets often to coordinate all of the goings-on here. All sorts of topics come up, both business related and science related. More than two years ago, our Director of Operations, Ken Byrne, shared a story with us relating to his brand new travel-style coffee mug, which he had gotten as a gift.

# data[].attributes.body
Air and Water Power (Pneumonics

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.readable_text
Blowing bubbles to make art is a great way to discuss hyperbolic pressure... or to just enjoy making a mess creating colorful designs with your kiddos.

WHAT YOU NEED TO MAKE SOAP BUBBLE ART:

1 T Dish Soap

3 T Water

water soluble food coloring (10 drops)

straws

cardstock paper (You can use computer paper or construction paper but they disintegrate more when wet).

Mix the water and soap with the food coloring. Blow into the solution until bubbles form.

Gently lay your cardstock over the bubbles. As the bubbles pop they will leave an imprint on the paper. Repeat the process until your page is covered.

We used this as a color lesson as well. We originally made three batches, blue, yellow and red. My kids then helped mix blue and yellow or red and blue to create "new colors."

This activity was part of the unit where we studied "Air." For more activity ideas see our learning themes page.

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.title
BLOWING BUBBLES TO MAKE ART - Kids Activities

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
Blowing bubbles to make art is a great way to discuss hyperbolic pressure... or to just enjoy making a mess creating colorful designs with your kiddos. WHAT YOU NEED TO MAKE SOAP BUBBLE ART: 1 T Dish Soap 3 T Water water soluble food coloring (10 drops) straws cardstock paper (You can use computer paper or construction paper but they disintegrate more when wet).

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.readable_text
Blowing bubbles to make art is a great way to discuss hyperbolic pressure... or to just enjoy making a mess creating colorful designs with your kiddos.

WHAT YOU NEED TO MAKE SOAP BUBBLE ART:

1 T Dish Soap

3 T Water

water soluble food coloring (10 drops)

straws

cardstock paper (You can use computer paper or construction paper but they disintegrate more when wet).

Mix the water and soap with the food coloring. Blow into the solution until bubbles form.

Gently lay your cardstock over the bubbles. As the bubbles pop they will leave an imprint on the paper. Repeat the process until your page is covered.

We used this as a color lesson as well. We originally made three batches, blue, yellow and red. My kids then helped mix blue and yellow or red and blue to create "new colors."

This activity was part of the unit where we studied "Air." For more activity ideas see our learning themes page.

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.title
BLOWING BUBBLES TO MAKE ART - Kids Activities

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
Blowing bubbles to make art is a great way to discuss hyperbolic pressure... or to just enjoy making a mess creating colorful designs with your kiddos. WHAT YOU NEED TO MAKE SOAP BUBBLE ART: 1 T Dish Soap 3 T Water water soluble food coloring (10 drops) straws cardstock paper (You can use computer paper or construction paper but they disintegrate more when wet).

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.title
Create Your own Smog | Science Experiments