DEPARTMENT OF CHEMICAL & PHYSICAL SCIENCES
CHEMISTRY IN SOCIETY LAB (CHEM 107)
LAB 2: THE AIR WE BREATHE
Purpose/Aim
To determine whether air occupies space and whether it can be moved and/ or removed.
Introduction
Air is a mixture of gases that composes the Earth’s atmosphere (NASA, 2015). Like all matter air has properties; one of which is weight, in each tiny air particle, there is a diminutive bit of weight. This weight is influenced by the pressure and temperature conditions surrounding the air. Air is also invisible, we can see through it as the particles of air are too minute and spread apart for it to be visible to the naked eye. It also has volume and no odor or taste. Air is compressible, since air particles possess a lot of space between them, so they can be squeezed together. Another property of air is that it expands when it is warm, when the temperature increases these air particles moves quicker, …show more content…
Why do the marshmallows act the way they do in the absence and presence of air?
When the vacuum caused absence of air in the jar, it removed the atmospheric pressure was pushing on the outside of the marshmallows which resulted in the trapped air inside of the marshmallow to push out and expand, which caused the increased size.
However, when air was returned, the marshmallow immediately shrunk in size as the pressure of the air was re-applied to the marshmallows.
5. Explain the action of the bubbles in Procedure E.
The bubble which came in contact which a clean hand had immediately ruptured because of oil, dirt particles on the hand and gravity. When the second bubble was blown into a soapy hand it stayed on the hand a few seconds longer because the soap prevented it from directly encountering the hand. When the third bubble was blown and caught by the cotton glove it bounced and remained unruptured because the are now safe from all dirt and oil