Thermal Expansion

Last week we learned about Thermal Expansion. Thermal Expansion is particles that accelerate movement. We did two experiments.

Number 1:We lit a Propane Torch and we put the Ball and Ring through the Propane Torch. After we took the Ball and Ring out of the Propane Torch, we tried fitting the ball through the ring and it wouldn't fit. When we put the ball in cold water it made a big, steaming sound.

Number 2:We took a big water jug and we put a very little amount of  alcohol in it. Then we lit a match, and we dropped it into the big water jug. After we dropped it in the jug, the match caused Thermal Expansion. The air particles expanded causing a loud explosion.

The Ball and Ring

Thermal Expansion

  This week in science club we learned about thermal expansion.  We learned that thermal energy causes thermal expansion when it accelerates the particles' speed causing them to expand, thus thermal expansion is caused.

  To prove this we conducted 5 experiments.  1 of my favorites was what I like to call the explosion bottle.  How it worked was we put ethyl alcohol in a (empty) water container, shook it around a little bit, and dropped a match inside.  The flame caused the air and itself to expand making air shoot out.


dropping the match in the container

  Another one of my favorites was the grill popper experiment.  How we did this, we used a grill lighter that made electricity when you pressed the button on the bottom.  On the end there was a cap of a film canister glued on.  Using this we put on a film canister with ethyl alcohol in it, aimed it, then pressed the button.   The electricity heated the ethyl alcohol causing air to expand forcing the container off.  This made a huge POP!




                   -Jordan

 
              



The Extraordinary Thermal Expansion

       We did three experiments: Balloon Bowls,Ball and ring, and swoosh bottle and grill. 

     Balloon Bowls                                                                                     

1.We put a little water in a bowl so that it  filled the bottom.

2.We put plastic wrap on the bowl, and it was very tight like a drum.Together, we put a rubber band on it so the plastic wrap wouldn't come off.

3.We put the bowl over a purple sheet and under a bright light.

4.We left it for a little while to see what would happen to it.

5.Later we came back and the plastic wrap poofed up.

6.We put it in an ice box to see what will happen next.

7.We took it out. The plastic wrap had shrunk!

       Ball of Rings

1.First we had to put goggles on.

2.Mr.L. had a ball and a ring that can go through each other.

3He had a blow torch and heated the ball.

4The ball couldn't fit through the ring any more,  because

the ball expaned.

5.Then Orange suggested that Mr.L. should heat the ring up and so he did.

6.The ring expaned and the ball could fit through again.
       Swoosh Bottle and Grill Popper1.We put ethyl alcohol in a huge water container.

2.Then mixed it up for about a minute.

3.Mr.L. put a lighted match in the container.
4.''SWOOSH'', the fire came flying out on us!

1.We put ethyl alcohol in a small container.

2.We pressed a botton that let the electricity to power on.

3.The container poped off.
4.It made a popping noise..

The Particle Expansion Experiment

The first lab test we did was called Balloon Bowls. These were the procedures to do the experiment:     

1. We had to fill 2 bowls with water.
2. Then we put plastic wrap on top of them.
3. We put purple paper under it.
4. After we did  that, we had to put the bowls under a light.
5. We waited for a bout 15-20 minutes.
6. After most of the water was evaporated on the plastic wrap, Mr.L put it in the cooler with lots of ice on the sides.
7. We waited for about 10-15 minutes again.
8. When the time was up, Mr.L opened the cooler.
9. Then he took the bowls out of the cooler.
10. When he put the bowls on the table the bowls' plastic wrap was caved inside the bowls.

The next lab test was called the Ball and The Ring.

1. First we had to put goggles on for saftey.
2. Then we had to get the ball and the ring out of their box.
3. Afterwards, Mr.L, my teacher, heated up the blow torch.
4. He put the blow torch against the ball.(The ball's particles expanded while the heat was against it.When we tried to put the ball inside the ring it couldnt go through.Then Orange suggested that we could heat up the ring.)
5. Mr.L put the blow torch against the ring.
6. After he heated up the ring he tried to put the ball in the ring.(It fit perfectly.)
7. So he set the ball and the ring aside to cool down.

The third lab test was called, Swoosh Bottle and Grill Popper.

1. First, we kept our goggles on.
2. Then, Mr.L  got the BIG swoosh bottle and put ethyl alcohol in it.
3. He lit a match afterwards and dropped it in the bottle.
4. "SWOOSH" was the sound it made.

1. Mr.L got a grill popper.
2. Then he put the alcohol in the small film container.
3. He pressed the button and the container popped off.

One of the balloon bowls

Mr.L and the swoosh bottle

The ball and the ring

The Awesome Fire from Ethyl Alcohol

When I saw that ethyl alcohol I was scared.  Like so scared because it was flammable and I could have gotten burned. Then we grabbed a container and put ethyl alcohol in it.  We got a match and lit it up. "KA-BOOM" as the fire rose up in the air and "SWOOSHHHH" the fire went out in the air. I was so scared that I blinked and almost cried. Afterwards I wrote about what happened and why. When I was done writing, I wondered how that fire came up and blew out so quickly.We poured more ethyl alcohol in the container and lit up another match. "SWISHHHH!" As, the fire swished and swooshed it was like a beautiful aurora coming beautifully down. It evaporated quickly. It was beautiful-ish with all the orange-red-ish colored flames.

      Before all that flaming ethyl alcohol, we had gotten a brass ring and ball. We had a flammable blow-torch, then we grabbed the ball on a stick and burned  it with the torch. Afterwards, we put the ring onto the ball and it didn't fit onto the ball. Then my friend, Orange, suggested that we needed to burn the ring so, that the ball would fit into the ring. We thought for a while and decided to do it. When we burned the ring it was cool then, it fit! It was so perfect that the ring could into the ball! Then i wrote about it. I had to write why and what happened to the ring. That day was the awesome day ever! I would to do it again!

                             -HawaiiDaAzian<3

Particle Expansion

First thing we did was put a very little amount of water in a bowl and then we put plastic wrap around the top and made it real tight, then we put a rubber band around the top.After we did that we put it under a lamp and stuck a dark piece of paper to make more heat, then we left it there for a while.When we went to check up on it, the water went all over the insides of the bowl and it made the plastic wrap puff up.

The next experiment we had to put goggle on just to be safe.What we did was use a ball and a ring that was made of some type of steal and it fit perfectly together.Then we heated up the ball and made the particles expand and it got bigger and it wouldn't fit inside the ring.Then we heated up the ring to make the particles expand just like the ball.After we did that, it fit perfectly again.Then we let it cool down.

The next experiment after the ball and ring was called ''Swoosh and Grill Popper''.We used a flammable liquid and put it in a large container.We stared off small and got bigger each time just to be safe.Then  we used some type of object that was call a grill popper, we put a little amount of liquid inside, then there was a red button to press that made electricity.It was pointed straight with no one in the way, then we shot the popper then it went shooting across the room.

These experiments were fun to watch.My favorite part was the ball and ring, I was surprise that it wouldn't fit together until we let it cool down or heat both of them up.

-Steve