 your results
Sent in by:
Ashley of TN
Can you lift a book with just air?
- gallon-size, zipper-lock plastic bag
- heavy book
- pencil
- plastic drinking straw
- tape
- Check with a grown-up before you begin.
- Place a heavy book on top of the plastic bag. Let about two inches of the bag stick out from under the book.
- Poke a hole in the bag with the pencil.
- Stick the straw in the hole. Use tape to seal the hole around the straw so no air can escape.
- Blow into the straw. Hold your tongue over the straw to keep air from leaking out when you take a breath.
- What happens? Can you lift the book off the table?
- Here's how it works. When you blow air into the bag, the air is pushed together, or "compressed." The compressed air pushes on the bag. This makes the bag push on the book and lift it up. So the bag filled with compressed air can support the weight of the book. The tires on your bike work in the same way. They are filled with compressed air and can support your weight. When the air leaks out of bike tires, they can no longer support your weight. That is why it's hard to ride your bike when the tires are flat. Can you think of other things that use compressed air?
Now it's time for you to experiment. What happens if you use a balloon or garbage bag instead of a plastic bag? What happens if you use more than one bag? Can you lift a large object, like a table? You might need to ask some friends to help out. And be sure to have an adult help you! Choose one thing to change (that's the variable), and predict what you think will happen. Then test it and send your results to ZOOM.
Mia, age 8 of Joliet, IL wrote:
it was cool. I lifted a dictionary. it lifted it but after like 3 sec. it slided of.
Samantha, age 10 of CA wrote:
it was so cool it just lifted with the air. Awsome!
Rachel, age 9 of Battleford wrote:
It went in the air.
Matthew, age 5 wrote:
it got puffed up.
Samuel, age 5 of Calgary, AB wrote:
the book raised up.
Micah, age 9 of Jacksonville, FL wrote:
when I did it it just took off.
Bianca, age 12 of Blakely, GA wrote:
it flew in the air and flew back down.
Sam, age 6 of Delaware, OH wrote:
I used a slidelock bag. I just blew into the bag... Then the slider slid off and the bag and the bag broke.
Kailynn, age 11 of Hammond, IN wrote:
It lifted up to about 3 inches!!! I was stunned!!!
ZOOM FAN, age 8 of Brooklyn, NY wrote:
It worked. it was up to 3 inches with a heavy math book.
Tejpaul, age 8 of Brooklyn, NY wrote:
It worked no matter what the weight is. I tried it with a 400th page book and it still moved.
Shamar, age 11 of Hartford, CT wrote:
The bag blew up and pushed the books into the air and off the table. I was so amazed. I did it as a science project.
Jween, age 11 of Palacios wrote:
i did it for a science fair project. It did lift the book!
Emily, age 11 of WI wrote:
Well I did it with my class and I sat on a peice of playwood and I floated!!!
Mike, age 15 of Kansas City, MO wrote:
my bag popped.
Hannah, age 10 of Oklahoma City, OK wrote:
I tried it and it worked. I even lifted the book up so far that it slid off the plastic bag. I used an encyclopedia but it wasn't that hard.
William, age 10 of Omaha, NE wrote:
I blew it to the straw and air filled the bag and lifted the book.
Jeri, age 10 of Ingleside, TX wrote:
It really did work pretty good i'll say so myself!!!
Madison, age 8 of Easthampton, MA wrote:
it was amazing! I did not somthing so light cold be so strong!
Caija, age 8 of Kentucky wrote:
It did not work
Bob, age 7 of New York wrote:
it work and I did it first go
Sarah, age 10 of Quebec wrote:
When I did it I was soooooo amazed whp knew air could do so much. Anyway it was just awesome!!!
Caroline of Hendersenville, TN wrote:
the book lifted so high it was amazing!
Pebbles, age 10 of Canada wrote:
I could lift 11 books
Alexis, age 12 of Washington, MN wrote:
It worked!!! When I blew up the bag the book just sat on top of the bag full of air. I knew it would work.
Malaikah, age 8 of Philly wrote:
i did it yesterday it was fun
Lexie, age 11 of Calgary, AB wrote:
I used a bech ball and a hair drier and the air heled it up
Anthony, age 12 of Eugene, OR wrote:
i did it and Nothing happened.
Krisina of Auckland, New Zealand wrote:
It worked even when I used all of my heavy text books TOGETHER!!!
Kathy, age 9 of Yukon, OK wrote:
Wow, I mean, first, I tried it on my laptop and it worked! Then, I did a really heavy book, and it worked! Then, I did it on a broken computer screen top, and it worked!
Zeke, age 6 of Brooklyn, NY wrote:
Not only did it work, but it looked like it was as light as air
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