Hooked on Science: Santa in a jar

Materials

• Hardboiled egg
• Glass jar (make sure the mouth of the glass jar is slightly smaller than the egg)
• Matches

Instructions

• STEP 1: Have an adult ignite five matches and immediately place the matches into the glass jar or chimney.
• STEP 2: Quickly place the egg, or Santa, on the opening of the glass jar and observe. Describe the egg by its observable properties. Explain how the air inside the glass bottle can be used as a model to describe that matter is made of particles too small to be seen.

Explanation

The fire inside the glass bottle heats the air inside, causing it to expand, increasing the air pressure. Once the fire goes out, due to the lack of oxygen, the air inside the jar cools and compresses, causing the air pressure inside to decrease. The higher pressure outside the jar pushes the egg, or Santa, into the glass jar, or down the chimney.