Mechanical Engineering Skills: Thermal Expansion

What is needed:

1. One thumbtack
2. One pencil
3. Adhesive (gum)
4. water bottle with its cap
5. basin
6. Straw (bendy straw preferable)
7. jug or cup to hold hot water

Fill the water bottle to half way or a bit more with cold water until the end of the straw is under the water level.Take your stick of gum and chew it while you are prepping.

Place the water bottle in the freezer to maintain coldness until you are done prepping for the rest of the experiment.

Taking the thumbtack and water bottle cap. Make a small hole with the thumbtack in the middle of the bottle cap.

Where you made a small hole in the bottle cap. Take your pencil and make the hole larger where the pencil can fit through. This will make the hole large enough to fit the straw.

Take the straw and put it through the hole of the water bottle cap you made. Take the gum that you have been chewing on and cover the top of the cap covering the hole and the straw creating an airtight adhesive.

Take your cup and fill it with water. This doesn't have to be a cup, it can be a jug or measuring cup whatever you need that is microwave safe.

Take your cup that was filled with water and warm it up in the microwave for about 2 minutes. Be careful the water of course will be very hot.

While waiting for your cup of water to warm up in the microwave. Take your water bottle out of the freezer and place the cap on it with the straw and gum tightening up the cap and water bottle.

Place your water bottle inside the basin or container and take out the water cup from the microwave.The water bottle should have cold water.

Take the hot water cup and pour the water on the water bottle. As the hot water touches the water bottle it warms up the air inside the water bottle which the air expands and creates pressure inside pushing out the cold water out through the straw. Part of becoming a mechanical engineer this is a law you will use very much.