Hooked on Science: Boil water in a paper cup

Most of us boil water in a pan on the stove. Using a few ingredients from around the house and your science skills you can boil water in a paper cup. Adult supervision is recommended for this experiment.

Materials

* Paper cup

* Butane lighter

* Water

* Thermometer

Instructions

STEP 1: Submerge the paper cup in water. Remove the cup from the water and fill it halfway with water. Place the thermometer in the cup of water to determine the temperature.

STEP 2: Using the butane lighter, create a flame. Carefully hold the flame under the cup of water for a few minutes. Make sure the flame is directly under the cup.

STEP 3: Remove the flame from the cup and place the thermometer in the cup of water to determine the temperature.

Explanation

The heat from the flame is transferred directly to the water. You will observe a significant temperature increase after you place the flame under the cup. If the flame is left under the cup of water long enough the water will start to boil. As long as there is water in the paper cup it will not burn. Discover more hands-on experiments by going to www.hookedonscience.org.

Jason Lindsey is a science outreach educator with Hooked on Science. Check out his website "Hooked On Science" at hookedonscience.org for webcasts and experiments that might get you hooked on science. Send him your science questions at jlindsey@hookedonscience.org. More science experiments can be found at www.semissourian.com.