Thirty Feet and Rising: Constructing and Using a Water Barometer To Explore Chemical Principles

摘要

Building a water barometer is a remarkably easy and dramatic way for students to learn about the amazing properties of air pressure. Starting up at a column of water 33-ft high that is supported only by the weight of the atmosphere has a ay of impressing upon students the power and importance of air prssure. Not only can students develop an intutive understanding of pressure and how a barometer works, they can also extend the experiment to explore vapor pressure, phase changes, equilibrium, and gas solubility. Best of all, this experiment is inexpensive to set up and can be completed within a single 45-min class period.