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As a student of the world, you have no doubt stuck a
toilet plunger to something at some time.
Why would you ever stick a toilet plunger
to anything is what we are trying desperately to understand. It is a
toilet plunger!!
A PLUNGER!
Don't you understand?!
Leave it alone!
Do you have any idea where that thing has been!
It is disgusting!
But nooooooo... you stuck it to the wall! The wall that up till
now was very very clean! Now you are going to have to move to a new house.
But it won't matter -- you'll keep sticking the
toilet plunger to stuff everywhere you go!
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Get a toilet plunger ( a clean one ),
and press it against a smooth surface. (You may need to lightly wet the
rim of the plunger -- do not lick it, trust us.)
Now, after pressing the plunger firmly against the smooth surface, gently
try to pull the plunger away.
- What happens?
- Is this what you expected?
- Have any ideas about what's going on?
With you lab partner, record your answer in your lab packet.
Maybe we'd better start investigating this toilet
plunger puzzle more scientifically...
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What do we already know about the scientist's plunger puzzle
?
- Between the plunger cup and the wall, there is a pocket of
gas (air).
- When we try to pull the plunger from the wall,
we stretch that pocket to a bigger size.
- No more gas can get in under the rim.
Probably we'd better use an experiment that will help us to
understand how pockets of gas behave when their sizes are changed.
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Gases have been scientifically investigated for years, starting with
Robert Boyle's work in the 1600's. Robert
Boyle did many experiments with gases, and is well known for his
discovery of "Boyle's Law." The work of Robert Boyle and other scientists
led to the "Gas Laws."
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