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Subject - Science
Lesson - Air Around Us
Learning Objectives
At the end of this lesson, students will be able to:
1. Demonstrate that air takes up space
2. Explain how moving air can do work
3. Understand the different gases make up air
4. Demonstrate how oxygen helps in combustion while carbon dioxide does not
5. Show that air has mass and causes pressure
Materials requires - balloon, baby bottle, sprite, plastic cup, ping pong ball, tissue paper, tank
of water, Flat wood panel that looks like a boat with a plastic tube through it + balloon on top,
baking soda, vinegar, Transparent jug, splint and match, safety glasses, candles,
Introduction
● Ask students to hold their breaths for 10 secs
● Ask them how they felt - what was it that they wanted
● The word Air will surely come out
● Let us learn about air
Components of air
● Conduct a class discussion using
http://www.bbc.co.uk/schools/gcsebitesize/science/21c/atmosphere/chemicalsairrev1.sht
ml
Carbon dioxide and nitrogen do not help in combustion
● Making some carbon dioxide to extinguish fire - http://youtu.be/1z_ApF2n-5Y
○ Many fire extinguishers user carbon dioxide. This is specially important when the
fire is caused due to electrical equipment or wiring -- in that case water is not
used, instead a Carbon dixoide based fire extinguisher is used. http://www.fire-
extinguisher101.com
○ CO2 is an odorless gas that is heavier than air and oxygen so it sinks. You can
even pour it out of a jar. It removes the oxygen from the fire site, and since
oxygen is needed for burning something, the fires goes out.
http://www.newton.dep.anl.gov/askasci/phy05/phy05225.htm
○ For combustion, one of 3 things are required - Oxygen, Flame and Energy,
■http://wright.nasa.gov/airplane/combst1.html
Materials Required - 1 Foot Scale, Soda can , Glass bottle of milk, Boiled Egg, candle - big,
two 1 litre bottles of soda
Air Pressure
● Crushing a soda can - http://youtu.be/0NZmo-qQxIk
○ Why this happened - http://scifun.chem.wisc.edu/homeexpts/COLLAPSE.html
● Egg pushed inside a bottle using air pressure - http://youtu.be/Fhz4xsJ1LUo
● Water rises in a plate when an inverted candle is extinguished -
http://youtu.be/_3YArPbmjsY
○ http://www.math.harvard.edu/~knill/pedagogy/waterexperiment/index.html
○ http://www.abc.net.au/science/surfingscientist/pdf/lesson_plan10.pdf
○ Even though the source seems arbitrary, they seem to have got it right -
http://havefunwithsimpleexperiments.blogspot.com/2010/02/combustion-of-
candle-combustion-de-una.html
● Bottle with holes in it - air pushes the water out of the bottle -
http://www.stevespanglerscience.com/experiment/00000107
Class Discussion
How far does the air extend above the earth? What happens in those layers?
● 600 KM - http://www.nasa.gov/audience/forstudents/9-12/features/912_liftoff_atm.html
● http://www.teachersdomain.org/asset/ess05_int_vertical/
Additional Research
Making a firki + Weather clock that shows the direction of the wind - Air in motion is wind
Prove air occupies space - Empty bottle overturned into a bucket of water
Why do mountaineers carry oxygen cylinders with them?
Oxygen is needed to burn things - Inverted glass on candle experiment
Air contains dust - Sunlight coming in through a dark room
Fine hair and mucus prevent dust particles from getting inside
Why do policeman wear masks in a traffic signal
Water has air - Boil water to see bubbles of air coming out.
Soil has air - pour water in lump of soil. huh?
Balance of oxygen and carbon dioxide in atmosphere is maintained by interchange of gases
between animals and plants
Wind power - Wind mill, Yachts, Airplanes