Hooked on Science: Huff 'n' puff water bottle

Blowing a piece of paper seems like it would be easy, but the air itself can work against you.

Materials

* Small-neck bottle

* Piece of paper

Instructions

STEP 1: Tear off a small piece of paper and crumple it into a wad.

STEP 2: Place the bottle on its side.

STEP 3: Put the crumpled piece of paper loosely into the neck of the bottle. Make sure the wad of paper is close to the opening.

STEP 4: Using the air from your mouth, attempt to blow the wad of paper into the bottle.

Explanation

Air has mass and takes up space. While the bottle looks empty, it's actually filled with air. The air from your mouth hits the air inside the bottle, bounces off and pushes the wad of paper out of the bottle, instead of inside the bottle.

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