The Incredible Inflating Marshmallow Man
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Materials |
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Marshmallows |
Wire or Wooden skewers |
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Bell jar |
Vacuum pump |
 Procedure:
Marshmallows are arranged on wires or skewers to resemble a "man." Place the marshmallow man inside the bell jar and turn the vacuum pump on. The marshmallow man swells to vary large dimensions. When the vacuum pump is turned off the marshmallow man shrinks to very small proportions. |
What's Going On:
Under normal circumstances, the air outside is exerting pressure on the marshmallows, trying to press them inwards. At the same time, however, the air inside the marshmallows is trying to expand them outward. These two pressures exactly cancel out. When the vacuum pump is tuned on, less pressure is exerted on the marshmallows from the surrounding air. The pressure exerted by the air inside the marshmallows is the same. The pressures do not cancel out and the marshmallows expand. When the pump is turned off, the marshmallows shrink to asize smaller than normal. This happens because, when the marshmallows are expanding, some of the aire inside the marshmallows escaped. This man is incredible!
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