Science

We went to Room 16 for science. What we were doing was the can crusher. In groups we put an aluminium can with 1 - 1.5 cm of water on a tripod with a methylated spirit burner underneath and lit a flame Then it was the waiting game. What was required was that the water reached a boiling point. That would be when we could do our science experiment. Picking up the can with togs we placed the can in water with ice in it, and the science begun. Within second of putting the can in the water it had crumpled up leaving a hole in its side, completely demolished. The explanation for this is that when the can is boiling it is giving off steam that steam gives off atoms and molecules. That steam occupies much more space than the water. When the can is plunged into the ice water the steam condenses back to water and takes up much less space, creating a vacuum from inside the can.