The Imploding Soda Can

September 25, 2008 The Imploding Soda Can Julie Anne A. Day 1, Prd 4

Purpose: To be able to observe the energy of liquid inside a soda can. Also, to be able to observe what happens to a heated soda can containing a little bit of water when put in a bucket of cold water.

Materials:

• soda can with a little bit of water
• ring stand
• ring clamp
• wire gauze
• bucket of water
• bunsen burner
• beaker tongs

Procedure:

1. Set up the ring clamp and the ring stand and the wire gauze.
2. Set up the bunsen burner. Then, light it.
3. Place the soda can with a little bit amount of water on the ring clamp.
4. Wait until steams comes out.
5. Then, with beaker tongs, grab the soda can, head first, and plunge it in the bucket of water.
6. Record your observations.

Data and Observations:

Soda Can---Before and After

Before:

• smooth faces
• perfect cylindrical shape

After:

• imploded
• it doesnt have a perfect cylindrical shape anymore
• in the middle of it, the two faces were pushed backwards and it had sharp edges on it.

I think the can imploded because when the water particles gained kinetic energy due to the heat given by the bunsen burner, they truned to steam. The water particles that stayed inside were stuck to the edges of the soda can. When the soda can was placed in bucket of water, the water particles that were stuck on the edges of the soda can, condensed in the middle of the can. The condensation in the middle created a vacuum. Then, it imploded because there was a higher concentration of water outside the can than inside so this higher concentration of water outside pushed the soda can inward.

Questions:

NONE---This experiment was done by our teacher, Ms. Hughes, and we just watched it in front of the class.

Conclusion:

I learned that the concentration differences between outside and inside of the can is able to create a big impact on the soda can's structure.

***This was a late post. Sorry