Compression Activity

Teacher Notes

• Cut bubbles out from bubble wrap ahead of class. Each group will need at least one complete bubble. Have extra bubbles on hand to replace any that pop during the experiment.
• Discuss gas particles in a closed system. Each drawing should have an equal number of gas particles in the syringe and the same number of particles in the bubble.

Materials Suggestions

Provide the following materials for each pair or small group of students.

• Syringe: 30-35 ml syringe, example of syringe
• One Bubble: Cut bubbles out from sheet of 5/16 inch bubble wrap, bubbles must be whole. Colored bubble wrap is easier to see than clear.
• Plastic tubing: Diameter of tubing needs to match end of syringe. Students need about 4 inches of tubing. This length allows space to attach to syringe, fold tube over, and clip it closed.
• Small binder clip: Standard paper binder clips available in office supplies, example of binder clip

Directions

• Remove the plunger from the syringe and place the bubble inside the syringe. Slide plunger about half way into syringe.
• Place tubing on end of syringe.
• Fold tubing over and close off with binder clip creating a closed system.
• Push the plunger into the syringe. Pay attention to the bubble inside of the syringe. Observe and record your observations.
• Pull out on plunger of syringe. Pay attention to the bubble inside of the syringe. Observe and record your observations.

Observations

Describe your observations. Fill in the blank to describe what you observed with either compression or expansion.

Pushing on plunger of syringe. This is an example of __compression__ .

Difficult to push plunger in very far. Bubble will compress or shrink. Particles get closer together.

        ^[1]

Pulling out plunger of syringe. This is an example of __expansion__ .

        Difficult to pull plunger out very far. Bubble will expand. Particles spread farther apart.

^[2]

Compression Activity

Learning Objectives

• I can demonstrate compression of a gas.

Materials

Provide the following materials for each pair or small group of students.

• Syringe
• One Bubble
• Plastic tubing
• Small binder clip

Directions

• Remove the plunger from the syringe and place the bubble inside the syringe. Slide plunger about half way into syringe.
• Place tubing on end of syringe.
• Fold tubing over and close off with binder clip creating a closed system.
• Push the plunger into the syringe. Pay attention to the bubble inside of the syringe. Observe and record your observations.
• Pull out on plunger of syringe. Pay attention to the bubble inside of the syringe. Observe and record your observations.

^{[3]    [4]}

   Materials                                              Materials Assembled

Name _______________________

Compression Activity

Observations

Describe your observations. Fill in the blank to describe what you observed with either compression or expansion. Add gas particles to the drawings of each syringe.

Pushing on plunger of syringe. This is an example of ____________________________ .

^[5]

Pulling out plunger of syringe. This is an example of ____________________________ .