Cecily Zamora
The can crush experiment, also known as Charles's Law: The Incredible Imploding Can, is a fun and educational activity that demonstrates the wonders of air pressure and the behaviour of gases. It involves heating a can and then quickly cooling it, resulting in a vacuum inside the can that is crushed by atmospheric pressure. This experiment was first conducted by French scientist Jacques Charles in 1787 and has since become a popular way to teach students about gas laws, temperature, and pressure variations. The can crush phenomenon can be explained by Charles's Law, which describes the relationship between the volume and temperature of a gas, as well as other gas laws such as Boyle's Law and Gay-Lussac's Law.
| Characteristics | Values |
|---|---|
| Name | Charles's Law |
| Date of Experiment | 1787 |
| Scientist | Jacques Charles |
| Experiment | The crushing of a can due to atmospheric pressure |
| Setup | An empty soda can heated over a stove and then dunked in cold water |
| Result | The can implodes due to the decrease in air pressure inside the can |
| Explanation | Per the kinetic molecular theory, the air molecules inside the can have less kinetic energy at a lower temperature, causing them to strike the sides of the can with less energy, leading to decreased pressure inside the can |
| Application | Demonstrates the effects of atmospheric pressure and can be used to teach gas laws in chemistry |
What You'll Learn
The can crush experiment
To perform the experiment, you will need an empty soda can, a pot of water, a stove, and a bowl of cold water. First, rinse the can to remove any residue. Then, fill the pot with enough water to cover the bottom and place it on the stove. Turn the heat to high and allow the water to heat until it begins to bubble. Using tongs, place the open end of the can into the water, ensuring it sits flat on the pot. Heat the can for approximately 45 seconds. After this time, quickly remove the can from the hot water using the tongs and immediately dunk the open end into the bowl of cold water. Observe what happens to the can.
As the can is heated, the air inside the can gains kinetic energy and exerts outward pressure against the sides of the can. When the can is quickly cooled by being placed in cold water, the air inside loses that kinetic energy, causing a decrease in pressure inside the can. The pressure outside the can is now much higher in comparison, and it pushes in the sides of the can, crushing it. This happens very quickly, as the outside air pressure exerts a force strong enough to crush the can before water can re-enter to equalize the pressure.
This experiment was first performed by French scientist Jacques Charles in 1787, who formulated Charles's Law to explain his findings.
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Charles's Law
The law can be explained using the kinetic molecular theory, which states that gas molecules have less kinetic energy at lower temperatures. In the context of the experiment, this means that the air molecules inside the can strike the sides with less energy as the can's temperature decreases. This leads to a reduction in pressure inside the can.
The pressure differential between the inside and outside of the can causes it to implode. The outside air pressure exerts a force on the outer sides of the can, and due to the decreased internal pressure, there is not enough force pushing outward to balance the external pressure, resulting in the can being crushed.
The equation for Charles's Law is:
V1/T1 = V2/T2
Where:
- V1 is the initial volume of the can
- T1 is the initial temperature of the air in Kelvin
- V2 is the final volume of the can
- T2 is the final temperature of the air in Kelvin.
This experiment, known as the Crushing Can Demonstration, is a simple yet captivating way to teach students about gas laws, atmospheric pressure, and Charles's Law. It is a practical activity for science curricula at various levels, from homeschooling to high school, offering a tangible demonstration of the principles at play.
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Kinetic molecular theory
The Kinetic Molecular Theory (KMT) is a theoretical model that explains the behaviour of gases through several postulates or assumptions.
The first postulate of KMT states that gas particles are in a state of constant, random motion, moving in a straight line until they collide with another particle or the walls of their container. These particles are assumed to behave like hard, spherical objects. The second postulate asserts that gas particles are much smaller than the distance between them, resulting in most of the volume of a gas being empty space. This explains why gases can be compressed into a smaller volume. The third postulate states that there is no force of attraction between gas particles or between particles and their container walls. Consequently, gas particles do not lose any energy during collisions.
The temperature of a system is directly proportional to the average kinetic energy of its particles, according to the last postulate of KMT. This means that an increase in the temperature of a system leads to an increase in the average kinetic energy of its particles. For example, consider two gases, H2 and O2, at the same temperature. They must have the same average kinetic energy.
The Kinetic Molecular Theory helps explain Charles' Law, which states that for a fixed mass of gas at constant pressure, volume is directly proportional to temperature. When the temperature of a gas increases, its molecules gain more kinetic energy and move with greater velocity. If the container's dimensions remain constant, the molecules will travel across it in less time, increasing the rate of collisions and, consequently, the pressure. However, if the container's dimensions increase, the molecules will cover a larger distance in the same time, maintaining a constant rate of collisions and, thus, a constant pressure.
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Atmospheric pressure
The experiment involves placing an open, empty soda can in a pot of water heated to a slight bubble. After 45 seconds, the can is quickly removed from the pot and submerged open-end first into a bowl of cold water. The can then implodes due to the atmospheric pressure acting on its outer sides.
This phenomenon occurs because the air inside the can cools down rapidly when submerged in cold water. According to Charles's Law, when the temperature of a fixed amount of gas decreases, its volume also decreases if the pressure remains constant. As the air inside the can cools, its volume decreases, creating a vacuum. The pressure inside the can decreases as the molecules strike the can's sides with less energy due to their reduced kinetic energy at the lower temperature.
Meanwhile, the outside air pressure remains constant and exerts a force on the outer sides of the can. This force is now greater than the pressure inside the can, causing it to implode. The rapid cooling of the air inside the can prevents water from re-entering and equalizing the pressure, resulting in a quick implosion.
The "Crushing Can Demonstration" is a captivating experiment that can engage students of all ages in the wonders of atmospheric pressure and gas laws such as Charles's Law. It provides a practical and visual representation of the complex interplay between temperature, volume, and pressure, as described by Charles's Law.
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Gas laws
The 'Incredible Imploding Can' experiment is a classic demonstration of the gas law known as Charles's Law. It was first performed by French scientist Jacques Charles in 1787. The experiment involves placing an open can in a pot of boiling water, heating it for around 45 seconds, and then quickly removing the can and dunking it into a bowl of cold water. As the air inside the can cools, the volume decreases, causing the can to implode due to the pressure difference.
Charles's Law states that the volume of a gas is directly proportional to its absolute temperature, provided that the pressure and number of moles of the gas remain constant. In the context of the imploding can experiment, the law explains that as the air inside the can cools, its volume decreases. This is because the air molecules have less kinetic energy at the lower temperature, causing them to strike the sides of the can with less energy. As a result, the pressure inside the can decreases, while the higher outside air pressure pushes in the sides of the can, leading to its implosion.
The imploding can demonstration is a simple and captivating experiment that can be used to teach gas laws in chemistry and atmospheric pressure in physics. It is safe and easy to perform with readily available materials, making it accessible for homeschooling or school science labs. The experiment can be further enhanced by collecting data on temperature, time, and pressure variations, making it suitable for students of all ages.
Additionally, the crushing can experiment can also be explained by other gas laws, such as Boyle's Law and Gay-Lussac's Law. These laws, along with Charles's Law, provide valuable insights into the behaviour of gases and the effects of changes in temperature, pressure, and volume. By studying these laws and conducting experiments like the crushing can demonstration, students can gain a deeper understanding of the properties and behaviour of gases.
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Frequently asked questions
The can crush Charles Law experiment demonstrates the effect of atmospheric pressure on an aluminium can. The experiment involves heating the air inside the can, which causes it to cool and create a vacuum, leading to the can being crushed by the surrounding air pressure.
The can is heated, causing the air inside to expand. The can is then quickly cooled by being dunked into a bowl of cold water. As the hot steam inside the can cools, it condenses into water, creating a vacuum. The higher air pressure outside the can then pushes in on the sides of the can, causing it to implode.
As the air inside the can cools, the volume decreases, and the air molecules strike the sides of the can with less energy. This decrease in energy results in a decrease in pressure inside the can. The much higher air pressure outside the can then exerts a force on the outer sides of the can, causing it to implode.
It is important to have a responsible adult present when conducting this experiment. Long hair should be tied back, and long sleeves should be rolled up. The can should be rinsed to remove any sticky residue, and the bottom of the pot used for heating should be covered with water. The can should be heated for about 45 seconds and quickly removed using tongs before being placed in the cold water.
