PETROSAINS SCIENCE SHOW COMPETITION 2009

SCHOOL :

GROUP MEMBERS : 1. (presenter)

2. (presenter)

TEACHER ADVISOR :

EXPERIMENT 1

NAME / TITLE “Air Canon”

TOPIC Air pressure and volume
LEARNING To enhance the understanding of moving air due to
OBJECTIVE changes of volume and pressure.
KEY SCIENCE Air pressure, volume
CONCEPT / MAIN
MESSAGES
PROPS / MATERIAL Candle, box with a 10cm diameter hole.

WHAT TO DO? 1. Light up a candle at a distance of ≈ 2m.

2. Hold the box and aim the hole towards the flame
of the candle.
3. Hit both sides of the box with both palms.
4. A jet of air will put off the flame.

WHAT HAPPENED? When the box is hit by both palms from both sides, the
volume of the box is reduces in a split of second. The air
in the box is squeezed out of the box through the hole.

The air swirls forward in high speed and thus put off the
fire.

1
EXPERIMENT 2

NAME / TITLE “Non-drip jug”

TOPIC Friction
LEARNING To enhance the understanding about effects of friction
OBJECTIVE
KEY SCIENCE Friction slows down the motion of water
CONCEPT / MAIN
MESSAGES
PROPS / MATERIAL A jug, water, about 1m length of string, cup
WHAT TO DO? 1. Tie the string around the handle of the jug of water
and pull it across the top of the jug and over the
lip.
2. Hold the string tight at an angle below the jug and
begin to pour slowly.
3. The water ‘sticks’ to the string and flows along the
string into the cup.

WHAT HAPPENED? The friction between the string and the water slows down
the flow. The friction pulls the water to the string and
making it stick to the string without dripping.

2
EXPERIMENT 3

NAME / TITLE “Water-proof Porcupine”

TOPIC Polymer
LEARNING To enhance the understanding of the stretchable
OBJECTIVE characteristics of polymeric material.
KEY SCIENCE Stretchable and indestructible characteristics of
CONCEPT / MAIN polymeric material.
MESSAGES
PROPS / MATERIAL Clear plastic watertight bag, color water, sharp pencils
WHAT TO DO? 1. Fill the plastic bag with water
2. Push a pencil through the bag
3. Then another... and another

4. The water bag turns into a lovely ‘porcupine’

WHAT HAPPENED? The bag doesn't burst because the plastic stretches
rather than tears as the pencils are pushed through it.

The plastic bag is polymeric materials that consist of long

chains of atoms of various lengths. When the pencil is
pushed through the plastic bag, the friction produces
heat, causing the molecules to contract and wrap around
the pencil thus prevent the water to leak.

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EXPERIMENT 4

NAME / TITLE “Wild-wild wet”

TOPIC Bernoulli’s Principle
LEARNING To enhance the understanding about the working
OBJECTIVE principle of insecticide sprayer.
KEY SCIENCE Fluid dynamic, air pressure, Bernoulli’s Principle
CONCEPT / MAIN
MESSAGES
PROPS / MATERIAL Bottle container, plastic tube, water, vacuum cleaner with
blow function, large plastic sheet, rain coat and umbrella.

WHAT TO DO? 1. Attach the plastic container to a long plastic tube.

2. Fill the container and the tube with water.
3. Hold one end of the tube upright with the water
level slightly lower than the opening.
4. Blow the stream of air horizontally above the
opening of the tube.
5. The water level rises and the water mix with the air
jet to form fine spray.

WHAT HAPPENED? Pressure of the air inside the container is at atmospheric

pressure which is higher. When the air is blown above
the tube with high velocity, it causes low pressure at the
end of the vertical tube. Atmospheric pressure pushes
the water to flow out from the tube and mix with air jet to
form fine spray.

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EXPERIMENT 5

NAME / TITLE “Why doesn’t it fall?”

TOPIC Bernoulli’s Principle
LEARNING To enhance the understanding of lift force due to
OBJECTIVE difference of air pressure

KEY SCIENCE Fluid dynamic, air pressure, Bernoulli’s Principle

CONCEPT / MAIN
MESSAGES
PROPS / MATERIAL A funnel made of 250ml mineral water bottle, a vacuum
cleaner with blow function, a small plastic ball

WHAT TO DO? 1. Attach the funnel to the hose of the vacuum

cleaner.
2. Switch on the vacuum cleaner to produce powerful
air flow.
3. Place the ball into the funnel and it seems to ‘suck’
into it.
4. Make a few 360° turns with the hose and the ball
in the funnel.

WHAT HAPPENED? The air moves faster in the narrow space between the
ball and the funnel, thus produce low-pressure area in
the funnel according to Bernoulli’s Principle.

The air pressure under the ball is higher and it helps to

support the ball in the funnel. The ball seems to ‘stick’ in
the funnel and doesn’t fall.

Prepared by,

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