Hooked on Science: Drinking straw science

Many of us enjoy drinking our favorite drink through a straw. Using a few materials from around the house, you can prove there is a science behind drinking through a straw.

Materials

* Glass soda bottle

* Flexible straw

* Water

* Play dough

Instructions

STEP 1: Fill the glass soda bottle three-fourths with water.

STEP 2: Put the flexible straw into the glass soda bottle. Push play dough around the sides of the straw until the opening of the bottle is completely closed.

STEP 3: Suck through the flexible straw.

Explanation

When you suck on a straw the pressure inside the straw lowers. The higher pressure on the outside of the straw pushes the liquid down and then up through the straw into your mouth. The play dough keeps the higher pressure on the outside of the bottle from pushing the liquid down and then up through the straw. This makes it very difficult to suck the water from the glass soda bottle.

Jason Lindsey is a science outreach educator with Hooked on Science. Check out his website hookedonscience.org for webcasts and experiments.