Gas Law Demonstration with Egg

Gas laws are a set of physical laws that describe the behavior of gases under different conditions. One popular demonstration of gas laws involves using an egg to show how gases expand when heated and contract when cooled.

Materials needed:

• An egg
• A bottle with a narrow opening
• A match or lighter

Procedure:

1. Place the egg on top of the bottle opening.
2. Light a match or lighter and hold it near the opening of the bottle without touching the egg.
3. Observe what happens to the egg as the air inside the bottle is heated.
4. Remove the match or lighter and allow the bottle to cool down.
5. Observe what happens to the egg as the air inside the bottle cools down.

Explanation:

When the air inside the bottle is heated, it expands and pushes the egg out of the opening. This demonstrates Charles’s Law, which states that the volume of a gas is directly proportional to its temperature. As the air cools down, it contracts and creates a vacuum inside the bottle, causing the egg to be sucked back in. This demonstrates Boyle’s Law, which states that the pressure of a gas is inversely proportional to its volume.

This simple experiment is a fun and visual way to understand the basic principles of gas laws and how gases behave under different conditions. It can be a great way to introduce students to the concept of gas laws and spark their curiosity about the behavior of gases.