When I first read about this experiment, I thought “what??” I couldn’t believe something this simple could actually work! And, I also couldn’t believe that I had never tried this experiment before. This simple yet super cool experiment is sure to amaze you!
What you need:
- A small glass or jar
- A tray
- Water
- A notecard
- Food coloring (optional)
Steps:
- Fill the jar or glass cup halfway with water
- Add food coloring to the water (this is optional)
- Place the note card over the top of the jar
- Making sure the tray is underneath the jar, turn over the jar
How does the water get trapped in the glass?
Air pressure is the weight of a column of air pushing down on a certain area. We cannot feel it, but the air is heavy. We don’t feel this weight because the molecules of air push evenly in all directions. In this experiment, the air pushing up from underneath the paper is strong enough to overcome the weight of the water pushing down on the paper. Because the air pressure is pushing up on the card, the card will stay on the glass and the water will not spill out. However, eventually the notecard will become saturated and the water will fall out of the glass.