The Shrinking Balloon
No introduction this time ... just a small experiment, for which we want you to provide the explanation!
For this demonstration, you'll need a small container, similar to a test tube, that has a narrow enough top to be able to pull a balloon over. You'll also need a balloon, some steel wool, and a little water.
Stuff the steel wool into the bottom of the container. Add a little water. Then blow up the balloon, and pull the end over the container; you should have something that looks like this.
A simple setup, and the balloon should stay inflated for days and days, provided the seal is tight. Except ...
This is what will happen in only a few hours. The balloon has definitely deflated. The seal with the container did not leak. Nothing escaped from the balloon or the container into the air.
The steel wool seems to have turned a little brown, though ...
What we want you to do is explain why the balloon deflated. Where did the air, or some part of the air, go, if it couldn't escape from the container/balloon enclosure?
Use the handy form below. We think of everything!
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