The Amazing Collapsing Can
Add 15 mL of water to an empty aluminum can.
Heat the can until the water is boiling. When steam can be seen coming out of the opening, use tongs to pick up the can.
QUICKLY turn the can upside down into a pan of water. Most of the can should remain above the water but the opening should be fully submerged. The can will implode! This illustrates atmospheric pressure. When the water was heated, steam formed. The steam expanded and pushed most of the air out of the can. When the can was cooled in the pan of water, the steam turned to liquid water. Water consumes less space than steam. Since the can was submerged, there was no available air to fill this extra space. This created a greater pressure outside the can than inside, resulting in an implosion.
