Name:____________________________________________Period___________Date_________________
Can you observe the effects of air pressure?
LAB REPORT
Revised 12-20-09
Habits of Mind # 9: Thinking and Communicating with Clarity and Precision: When answering this
worksheet and writing your lab report, please take the following into account:
Language and thinking are closely entwined. When you hear fuzzy language, it is a reflection of fuzzy thinking.
Intelligent people strive to communicate accurately in both written and oral form taking care to use precise
language...They strive to avoid overgeneralizations...Instead they support their statements with explanations,
comparisons, quantification, and evidence.
Please refrain from using statements like, “Because I said so.”, “That’s the way it is.”, “And, stuff.”
Do not begin any statement with the word “Because” or the word “It”.
MLR: D 3-L. Analyze the relationship among heat, temperature, and pressure in terms of the
actions of atoms, molecules, and ions.
1. (25 pts) Why didn’t the empty soda can crush before it was heated? Include a discussion of
temperature (8 pts), molecular motion (8 pts), and pressure (9 pts) both inside and outside the can.
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2. a) (15 pts) What was happening to the water molecules inside the can as it was being heated?
Include the following terms in your answer: temperature (5 pts), molecular motion (5 pts), and
distance between molecules (5 pts).)
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b) (10 pts) What evidence do you have to support your answer from letter (a)?
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OVER→
Life & Climate
Can you observe the effects of air pressure?
Page 2
3. (25 pts) Draw a diagram of the amount of pressure inside (12 pts) and outside (13 pts) the can
before being heated. Use arrows to show where pressure is higher (large arrow) or lower (small
arrow.) Note, pressure can be the same (same sized arrows inside and outside the can.)
4. a) (15 pts) Where was the air pressure greater when the can was dunked in the cold ice water?
Why? Do not begin your sentences with “Because” or “It”.
Include the following information in your answer: temperature inside and outside the can (2 pts),
air pressure inside and outside the can (5 pts), volume of molecules inside the can (5 pts),
concentration of molecules inside the can (3 pts).
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b) (10 pts) Draw a diagram of what you think happened inside (5 pts) and outside (5 pts) the can
as it was dunked in ice water. Use arrows to show where pressure is higher (large arrow) or
lower (small arrow).
COLD
WATER
COLD
WATER