
	\|\| home \|\|\| units \|\|\|\|\| help

Thinking About the Question

Thinking About The Question

What can you do with air pressure?

What is pressure? Have you or anyone on your team ever stepped on a small sharp rock with your bare feet? How does it feel?

A question to think about is why does it feel this way. The answer has to do with pressure. Normally, when you take a step, the force of your step is spread out over the entire size of your foot. Your foot is used to this kind of pressure -- you experience it all the time. But if you step on a small rock, all that force is concentrated on a small area. If the rock surface is 100 times as small as your foot, what you feel is 100 times more force on that area of your foot -- 100 times the pressure!

Clearly the weight of your body puts pressure on your feet, but does air have pressure? Look at the pictures below.

Tires, balls, and dive tanks are just a few of the things that people use that rely on air pressure. Choose one item above and describe how air and air pressure help the item function.

Tire

Basketball

Dive tank

Air is actually exerting pressure on you right now. You are at the bottom of the earth's atmosphere, and about 400 miles of air is pushing in on you! But you have air in your body, which is pushing back, so you don't feel the pressure.

Has anyone on your team ever experienced ear popping when taking off or landing in a plane, or when driving up or down a mountain?

Yes

This is another example of air pressure affects. When the air pressure outside your body is different than the air pressure inside your body, your body tries to adjust to the outside air pressure. These adjustments create a popping sound in your ear.

Can you think of other examples where air pressure is apparent? Discuss with your team situations or objects affected by air pressure and list these below. Be prepared to share your ideas with the class.