Saturday, February 5, 2011

Overview of Air Pressure Lesson Plan

This activity is geared toward students who have prior knowledge of how our atmosphere works. Everyone knows that the atmosphere is made of gases and this lesson plan will specifically talk about air pressure. It is amazing to know that the pressure our atmosphere applies to us and everything on Earth is14.7 pounds per square inch, or about a ton per square foot. That is amazing to know that we can withstand such extreme pressure! Air pressure is everywhere. Think about how drinking out of a straw works. Have you ever thought about it? Many people do not know that you are not really sucking up the liquid but your mouth is removing air pressure built up in the straw and allowing the pressure outside of the straw, that is pushing on the liquid, to push the liquid into your mouth. Also, air pressure can affect the bounce of a ball. Air pressure effects many everyday things that can go unnoticed. I challenge you to make a list of everyday objects that can be effected by air pressure after doing this lesson plan. Students will also be able to wow their family and friends with this new information they will learn about in this lesson plan.