Match and Water in a Glass Science Magic Trick

Fun Trick with Fire and Water

  • Activities for Kids
  • Chemical Laws
  • Periodic Table
  • Projects & Experiments
  • Scientific Method
  • Biochemistry
  • Physical Chemistry
  • Medical Chemistry
  • Chemistry In Everyday Life
  • Famous Chemists
  • Abbreviations & Acronyms
  • Weather & Climate
  • Ph.D., Biomedical Sciences, University of Tennessee at Knoxville
  • B.A., Physics and Mathematics, Hastings College

This is a simple and interesting science magic trick involving fire and water. All you need is water, a glass, a plate, and a couple of matches. Pour water into a plate, light a match in the center of the dish and cover it with a glass. The water will be drawn into the glass .

Match and Water Trick Materials

  • 2 wooden matches
  • A quarter or other large coin
  • Colored water
  • Narrow glass

How to Perform the Trick

  • Pour water into the plate. I colored the water with food coloring to make it easier to see.
  • Bend one of the matches so that you can set it in the water. Secure the match so that it is upright by setting a quarter or other small heavy object on the end of the matchstick.
  • Use the second match to light the match that you placed on the plate.
  • Immediately invert a glass over the burning match.
  • The water will flow into the glass and will remain in the glass even after the match has been extinguished.

How It Works

The heat of the flame imparts energy to the gas trapped under the glass, raising its pressure and pushing against the water. When the flame is extinguished the air cools. Less pressure is exerted against the water, allowing it to flow into the glass.

  • Simple Water Science Magic Tricks
  • Candle Science Trick to Extinguish Fire with Carbon Dioxide
  • Trading Places: Liquid Science Magic Trick
  • Anti-Gravity Water Science Magic Trick
  • How to Perform the Pepper and Water Science Magic Trick
  • Science Projects Photo Gallery
  • How to Make a Ketchup Packet Cartesian Diver
  • Kitchen Science Experiments for Kids
  • Magic Rocks - Review
  • Easy Science Projects
  • Science Experiments and Activities for Preschoolers
  • Dancing Ghost Halloween Science Magic Trick
  • Mad Scientist Halloween Costumes
  • Easy Chemistry Experiments to Do at Home
  • Does the Mentos and Soda Trick Work With Regular Coke?
  • Top Chemistry Projects for Bored Kids
-->
Gilla: Dela:

match water glass experiment

  • 1 drinking glass
  • 1 lighter or matchbox
  • Food coloring (optional)
  • Safety equipment: 1 fire extinguisher

match water glass experiment

Step 3 (alternative A)

match water glass experiment

Step 3 (alternative B)

match water glass experiment

Short explanation

Long explanation.

  • What happens if you put the glass over the candle very quickly?
  • What happens if you use a larger glass?
  • What happens if you use a taller, narrower, glass?
  • What happens if you use a different type of candle (for example, a small cake candle?
  • What happens if you use multiple candles (you may need a larger glass or a jar)?
  • What happens if you use a bowl of water instead (see below)?

match water glass experiment

Gilla: Dela:

match water glass experiment

Imploding soda can

match water glass experiment

Cloud in a bottle 1

match water glass experiment

Water sucking bottle

match water glass experiment

Screaming dry ice

match water glass experiment

Dry ice in a balloon

match water glass experiment

Special: Dry ice color change

match water glass experiment

Dry ice smoking soap bubble snake

match water glass experiment

Dry ice giant crystal ball bubble

match water glass experiment

Dry ice in water

match water glass experiment

Rainbow milk

match water glass experiment

Gummy bear osmosis

match water glass experiment

Floating ping pong ball

match water glass experiment

Rotating Earth

match water glass experiment

Special: Colored fire

match water glass experiment

Special: Fire bubbles

match water glass experiment

Water cycle in a jar

match water glass experiment

Egg drop challenge

match water glass experiment

Taking the pulse

match water glass experiment

Orange candle

match water glass experiment

Glass bottle xylophone

match water glass experiment

Warped spacetime

match water glass experiment

Homemade rainbow

match water glass experiment

Water implosion

match water glass experiment

Warm and cold plates

match water glass experiment

Plastic bag kite

match water glass experiment

Tamed lightning

match water glass experiment

Yeast and a balloon

match water glass experiment

Forever boiling bottle

match water glass experiment

Moon on a pen

match water glass experiment

Moon in a box

match water glass experiment

Inexhaustible bottle

match water glass experiment

Crystal egg geode

match water glass experiment

Magic ice cut

match water glass experiment

Leaf pigments chromatography

match water glass experiment

Heavy smoke

match water glass experiment

Popsicle stick bridge

match water glass experiment

Micrometeorites

match water glass experiment

Special: Fire tornado

match water glass experiment

Special: Whoosh bottle

match water glass experiment

Dancing water marbles

match water glass experiment

Brownian motion

match water glass experiment

Flying static ring

match water glass experiment

Water thermometer

match water glass experiment

String telephone

match water glass experiment

Special: Dust explosion

match water glass experiment

Disappearing styrofoam

match water glass experiment

Special: Burning money

match water glass experiment

Special: Burning towel

match water glass experiment

Salt water purifier

match water glass experiment

Fish dissection

match water glass experiment

Hovering soap bubble

match water glass experiment

Homemade sailboat

match water glass experiment

Water mass meeting

match water glass experiment

Plastic bag and pencils

match water glass experiment

Water sucking glass

match water glass experiment

Mentos and coke

match water glass experiment

Aristotle's illusion

match water glass experiment

Spinning spiral snake

match water glass experiment

Carbon dioxide extuingisher

match water glass experiment

Plastic bag parachute

match water glass experiment

Dental impression

match water glass experiment

Impact craters

match water glass experiment

Rolling static soda can

match water glass experiment

Static paper ghost

match water glass experiment

Color changing flower

match water glass experiment

Upside down glass

match water glass experiment

Shrinking chip bag

match water glass experiment

Solar system model

match water glass experiment

Strawberry DNA

match water glass experiment

Electric motor

match water glass experiment

Flashy electric motor

match water glass experiment

Bouncing soap bubbles

match water glass experiment

Toilet paper roll maraca

match water glass experiment

Cloud in a bottle 2

match water glass experiment

Balloon rocket

match water glass experiment

Water whistle

match water glass experiment

Homemade yogurt

match water glass experiment

Special: Screaming gummy bear

match water glass experiment

Homemade compass

match water glass experiment

Trash airplane

match water glass experiment

Wind-up spinner toy

match water glass experiment

Tea bag rocket

match water glass experiment

Balancing soda can

match water glass experiment

Lung volume test

match water glass experiment

Fireproof balloon

match water glass experiment

Baking powder popper

match water glass experiment

Expanding space

match water glass experiment

Straw propeller

match water glass experiment

Wooden cutlery

match water glass experiment

Levitating match

match water glass experiment

Human reflexes

match water glass experiment

Electromagnet

match water glass experiment

Soil layers

match water glass experiment

Straw potato

match water glass experiment

Straw rocket launcher

match water glass experiment

Traveling flame

match water glass experiment

Water bowls

match water glass experiment

Straw duck call

match water glass experiment

Solar eclipse

match water glass experiment

Silo of salt

match water glass experiment

Balloon skewer

match water glass experiment

Newspaper tower

match water glass experiment

Microwave light bulb

match water glass experiment

Heavy paper

match water glass experiment

Rubber chicken bone

match water glass experiment

Homemade marble run

match water glass experiment

Drops on a coin

match water glass experiment

Cartesian diver

Content of website.

match water glass experiment

Kidspot Logo

Thousands of Families. One Spot.

  • Toddler & Preschool
  • Tweens to Teens
  • Family Health
  • Cakes & Baking
  • Birthday Parties
  • Colouring Pages
  • Competitions
  • Family Holidays
  • Home & Decor
  • Product Trials
  • Baby and Kids Products
  • Classes, Lessons and Activities
  • Education and Learning
  • Family Activities
  • Family Dining
  • Family Travel
  • Fundraising
  • Health Specialists
  • Income and Training
  • Just for Mums and Dads
  • Kids Clothing and Accessories
  • Pregnancy and New Parents
  • School Holidays
  • Toys, Sport and Tech

Crazy science boy in lab

Match in a glass experiment

Home science experiments are a great way to engage your children in some hands-on learning. This classic match in a glass experiment needs some adult supervision but otherwise just requires simple items you have at home.

What you need:

  • Blu-tack, playdough or even chewing gum will do
  • Highball glass
  • Food colouring (optional)

Number of players : 2+

Use the blu-tack or playdough to stick the unlit match, upright to the plate.

Pour a moat of water around the match (you can colour the water with food colouring to make it more fun if you want!).

Get an adult to light the match for you.

Quickly place the glass over the top of the lit match.

Watch as the water is sucked into the glass.

Why is it so?

The match creates hot air inside the glass. The difference in air temperature between the inside of the glass and outside the glass causes the gas inside the glass to push against the glass. This causes a vacuum effect. When the match starts to go out, the air cools and the pressure is released, sucking the water inside the glass.

Share This Story, Choose Your Platform!

Related posts.

Cricut Unveils Joy Xtra™ & the EasyPress Mini™ in NZ

Cricut Unveils Joy Xtra™ & the EasyPress Mini™ in NZ

Must Do School Holiday Experiences – Winter 2024

Must Do School Holiday Experiences – Winter 2024

The Garfield Movie: 5 Fun Activity Sheets

The Garfield Movie: 5 Fun Activity Sheets

DIY Pinecone Superheroes

DIY Pinecone Superheroes

Make Rolly The Ruru and Karrie The Kākāpō

Make Rolly The Ruru and Karrie The Kākāpō

Leave a comment cancel reply.

You must be logged in to post a comment.

match water glass experiment

Back Home

  • Science Notes Posts
  • Contact Science Notes
  • Todd Helmenstine Biography
  • Anne Helmenstine Biography
  • Free Printable Periodic Tables (PDF and PNG)
  • Periodic Table Wallpapers
  • Interactive Periodic Table
  • Periodic Table Posters
  • Science Experiments for Kids
  • How to Grow Crystals
  • Chemistry Projects
  • Fire and Flames Projects
  • Holiday Science
  • Chemistry Problems With Answers
  • Physics Problems
  • Unit Conversion Example Problems
  • Chemistry Worksheets
  • Biology Worksheets
  • Periodic Table Worksheets
  • Physical Science Worksheets
  • Science Lab Worksheets
  • My Amazon Books

How to Make a Cloud in a Bottle – 3 Easy Methods

How to Make a Cloud in a Bottle

Making a cloud in a bottle is an easy and fun science project that demonstrates how tiny liquid droplets form from a gas or vapor . There is more than one way of making a cloud in a bottle. Here are three simple methods you can try.

How Real Clouds Form

First, here’s a quick review of how real clouds form in the atmosphere:

Clouds form in the lower layers of the Earth’s atmosphere, which are the troposphere, stratosphere, and mesosphere. Three factors that affect their formation are temperature, pressure , and condensation nuclei. The temperature of air affects its density and causes a column of air to rise or sink. Cold air is more dense (heavier) than warm air. Warmer air holds more water than colder air.

So, when warm air containing a lot of water vapor rises, it experiences adiabatic cooling. In other words, cooling occurs due to changes in pressure. Cool air holds less water, but the tiny water droplets that make clouds don’t spontaneously appear. Instead, they coalesce around particles, like pollen and dust. These particles are called condensation nuclei.

How to Make a Cloud in a Bottle With Water and a Match

Probably the easiest way to make a cloud in a bottle is using a plastic bottle, water, and a match. This method produces a water vapor cloud, just like a real cloud.

  • 1-liter plastic bottle
  • Pour enough warm water into the bottle to cover the bottom. Give it a swirl, if you like.
  • Light a match, blow it out, and drop it into the bottle.
  • Immediately seal the bottle.
  • Squeeze the bottle hard a few times. A cloud forms as you squeeze and disappears when you release the pressure.

If you don’t have a match, replace the water with rubbing alcohol:

  • Pour about a teaspoon of rubbing alcohol into a 1-liter plastic bottle.
  • Seal the bottle and swirl around the liquid.
  • Squeeze the bottle a few times. When you squeeze the bottle, a cloud forms. When you release pressure, it disappears.

Do not use a match with rubbing alcohol because it is flammable.

How It Works

Squeezing the bottle compresses that gas and increases its temperature. Releasing the bottle lowers the pressure and lowers the temperature. You can see the relationship between pressure, temperature, and volume in the ideal gas law :

In this equation, P is pressure, V is volume, n is the number of moles of gas, R is the ideal gas constant, and T is the temperature. The amount of gas in the sealed bottle (n) does not change. R is a constant, so it does not change either.

When you squeeze the bottle, you increase pressure. You also slightly decrease volume, but the temperature still increases. Releasing pressure lowers the temperature. The water vapor molecules lose some kinetic energy and draw closer together. Smoke from the extinguished match contains tiny particles that act as condensation nuclei. The water molecules stick to these particles and condense into a liquid.

You can make the cloud thicker by using hotter water. If you don’t have a match, a strip of burning paper works just as well.

Make a Cloud in a Jar with Water, a Match, and Ice

Another way of getting a better cloud holds the gas volume constant and cools the vapor using ice.

  • Clear glass jar
  • Tray of ice or an ice pack the covers the jar
  • Pour warm water into the jar so it fills the jar a couple of inches.
  • Swirl the jar or stir the water so the space above the liquid has a lot of water vapor.
  • Light the match, blow it out, and drop it into the jar. You’ll see smoke, but no cloud (yet).
  • Immediately cover the jar with a tray of ice. A misty cloud forms near the top of the jar, just below the ice. If you have trouble seeing it, slightly lift the tray and watch the wisps of cloud escape the jar.

Swirling or stirring the warm water warms the air above the liquid. The warmer air readily absorbs water vapor. When you drop the extinguished match into the jar, the smoke acts as condensation nuclei for cloud formation. But, you need a temperature change as well as condensation nuclei to get a cloud. Instead of changing the temperature using pressure, this method directly cools the air in the jar using ice. Ice chills the air and the cold air near the top of the jar sinks. The warmer air rises and then loses its ability to hold as much water vapor as it cools. The water vapor condenses into a cloud around the smoke particles.

Make a Cloud in a Bottle With Alcohol and a Bicycle Pump

Using a pump gives you more control over pressure so you get a highly visible cloud. Alcohol has a high vapor pressure , so it vaporizes and condenses more readily than water. But, the principle is still the same.

  • Foot pump (like a bicycle pump)
  • Rubbing alcohol (isopropyl alcohol)
  • Stopper with a hole in it
  • Pour some alcohol into the bottom of the bottle. You don’t need a lot. Just add enough so it forms a visible pool (around a teaspoon).
  • Swirl it around so it coats the bottle interior.
  • Attach the end of the pump to the hole in the stopper. If the hole is too small, use a drill to make it larger. On the other hand, if the hole is a bit large, seal its connection to the pump using tape.
  • Seal the bottle with the stopper.
  • Pump around 8-10 times. Hold the stopper in place as you pump or else it will pop out.
  • Remove the stopper from the bottle and enjoy the cloud.

If the cloud is weak, try the project again, but pump more times to lower the pressure inside the bottle more.

Pumping air into the bottle forces the molecules closer together. Releasing the pressure causes rapid expansion of the gas (air and alcohol vapor) and lowers the temperature inside the bottle. The cooling causes the alcohol vapor molecules to stick together and condense. Because alcohol vaporizes more readily than water, more of them are in the gas phase when you release the pressure on the bottle, so you get a denser vapor cloud than you would with water. But, you can repeat the project using warm water instead of alcohol and prove this to yourself. Why warm water? It’s because it has a higher vapor pressure than cold water.

  • Enright, Ryan (2014). “Dropwise Condensation on Micro- and Nanostructured Surfaces.” Nanoscale and Microscale Thermophysical Engineering . 18 (3): 223–250. doi: 10.1080/15567265.2013.862889
  • Grenci, Lee M.; Nese, Jon M. (2001). A World of W eather: Fundamentals of Meteorology: A Text / Laboratory Manual (3rd ed.). Kendall/Hunt Publishing Company. ISBN 978-0-7872-7716-1.
  • Pearce, Robert Penrose (2002). Meteorology at the Millennium . Academic Press. ISBN 978-0-12-548035-2.
  • Pidwirny, M. (2006). “ Cloud Formation Processes .” Fundamentals of Physical Geography (2nd ed.).
  • Predel, Bruno; Hoch, Michael J. R.; Pool, Monte (2004). Phase Diagrams and Heterogeneous Equilibria: A Practical Introduction . Springer. ISBN 978-3-540-14011-5.

Related Posts

Candle and Water Trick

As the temperature falls, so does the pressure

◊ Food colour

candles under glasses on plates

1. Put a very little water on a plate, and mix in a couple of drops of food colour.

2. Place a candle in the middle of the plate, and light it. Slowly bring a glass down on top of the candle until it is standing in the water, on the plate.

3. Watch what happens next!

The burning candle heats the air above it, including the air that goes into the glass. Once the glass is standing on the plate, the burning candle uses up all the available oxygen in the glass, then goes out. As it does so, the air in the glass cools, and as it cools, the air pressure in the glass falls below atmospheric pressure. Water is drawn into the glass until the pressure is equalised. You can turn this experiment into a competition by placing a small coin on the plate under the water and, offering students a variety of possible tools, seeing who can retrieve the coin without getting their fingers wet.

So how does this relate to atmosphere?

When we measure the air pressure at the surface of the Earth, we are literally measuring how much air is above us. If the air pressure falls, there is less air above us, if the air pressure rises, there is more air above us. The relationship between temperature and pressure is very important – as the temperature falls, so does the pressure and as the temperature rises, so does the pressure. That means that as air moves up in the atmosphere and the pressure falls (because there is less remaining atmosphere above) its temperature has to fall as well. Typically, the temperature of the atmosphere falls about 6°C for each 1000m you go up –so the tops of mountains are always much colder than the valleys below. This experiment also demonstrates how storm surges work – when the air pressure is low over a sea or ocean, the water level can rise. This can have devastating consequences – for example the North Sea flood of 1953.

Another experiment

For another experiment looking at the relationship between temperature and pressure, all you need is a plastic syringe (the sort sold in pharmacies for administering medicine to babies). With your finger over the nozzle, pour a little very hot, but not boiling, water into the syringe. There will be a bubble of air at the bottom, so you won’t scald your finger! Now use the plunger to push all but 3ml of the water out, then put your finger over the nozzle again, and pull the plunger out. As the pressure in the syringe falls, the temperature falls but so does the boiling point of water – you should see the water starting to boil!

More experiments and demonstrations

Latest from blog, climate and sustainability in the curriculum – new report, what is climate literacy and why do pupils need it, new resource: heatwave fieldwork in the school estate, greening curriculum guidance published.

a hairdrier

Tricks with a Hair Dryer

hot air balloon

Hot Air Rises

a full bottle of water turned upside down

Turn Water Upside Down

Stevenson screen

DIY Thermometer Screen

Subscribe to metlink updates, weather and climate resources and events for teachers.

© 2024 Royal Meteorological Society RMetS is a registered charity No. 208222

About MetLink   Cookies Policy   Privacy Policy Safeguarding Policy

MetLink - Royal Meteorological Society

  • We use cookies on this site to enhance your user experienceBy clicking any link on this page you are giving your consent for us to set cookies. More info
  • Strictly Necessary Cookies

By clicking any link on this page you are giving your consent for us to set cookies. More info

Strictly Necessary Cookie should be enabled at all times so that we can save your preferences for cookie settings.

If you disable this cookie, we will not be able to save your preferences. This means that every time you visit this website you will need to enable or disable cookies again.

Team Cartwright

Posted on Last updated: December 8, 2021 By: Author Kim

Categories STEM Activities

Rising Water Experiment – Magic Water Science Experiment

Rising Water Experiment: a magic rising water science experiment.

  • Ages: Preschool , PreK , Kindergarten, Elementary
  • Difficulty: Easy
  • Learning: STEM , Air Pressure, Ideal Gas Law, Charles’s Law

Did you know you can make water rise without touching it?

Nope, it isn’t magic. It’s science. Surprisingly simple science in fact. This science experiment comes together in minutes, but it will captivate your children.

Here is how to do the raising water experiment, simple glass and candle STEM magic.

Text: Rising Water Experiment Science for Kids. Picture: Shallow dish with blue water, upside down glass with water rising into it

What's In This Post?

Supplies for your Glass and Candle Experiment

How to do the rising water experiment, the science, the chemical component, the physical component, the big picture, what should children take away from this science experiment, conservation of matter, charles’s law, ideal gas law, ask a question, magic water science experiment, free printable raising water experiment instructions, instructions, rising water experiment.

This experiment uses at-home materials and is fascinating! It does require adult help, but adults will love it too.

You only need a few items to make this magic water STEM experiment work. Here is what you need to gather up:

  • Glass or Jar
  • Small Votive Candle
  • Shallow Dish
  • Food Coloring (Optional)
  • Matches or Lighter

Before we even get started please remember that an adult needs to be present for this experiment. We are using fire, which can be dangerous, so be smart.

Step 1: Take a sallow dish and fill it with water. You want just enough to cover the bottom.

Step 2: If you want, add food coloring to the water. This just makes it easier to see and is fun, so totally optional.

Step 3: Place your small votive in the middle of the dish.

Step 4: Light the candle, then quickly place the empty glass over the flame, touching the water. Now wait while the candle burns out.

Step 5: Watch as the water rises up into the glass!

Left picture: shallow dish with blue water. Lit candle in center of dish with glass upside down on top. Right picture: candle has burnt out and water level within glass has risen up

The number one safety tip here is to be careful with the flame! This experiment must be done with adult supervision at the bare minimum. With younger children, like preschoolers, this needs to be an adult-led experiment.

This STEM activity also uses glass, so it is a good idea to be careful in case it falls or breaks.

Clean-up for this activity is pretty simple. Slowly lift the bottle off of the candle.

Once the bottle is off, gently blow the candle out. Let the candle cool (or have an adult get it), remove it from the dish, and dump the water down the drain. That’s it!

More must do activities!

Text: Easy and Fun Fireworks Experiment Science for Kids. Top Picture: Star cookie cutter with fireworks reaction bubbling up with glitter. Bottom Picture: Butterfly and star cookie cutters in a dish with fireworks baking soda and vinegar experiment with glitter bursting up

How the Rising Water Experiment Works

This is a pretty cool experiment, but it is important to talk about what actually makes this happen. It’s fun to say it is magic, but as my kids tell me, ‘It’s better. It’s science.’

There are two main components of this experiment that cause the water to rise, a physical component and a chemical component. These two components work together to make this experiment happen.

The candle burning creates a chemical reaction. The flame burns both the paraffin (candle wax) and the oxygen under the glass. This reaction uses up oxygen and creates water and carbon dioxide as a result. Twice as much oxygen is burned than carbon dioxide produced, so the volume of air in the glass decreases.

(Note the total amount of matter in the jar remains the same. Conservation of matter tells us this. But some molecules are larger than others and take up more space in terms of volume.)

Picture of general chemical reaction of burning a fuel. Fuel + oxygen yields carbon dioxide and water. Reaction is general and unbalanced, components are labeled

The physical component is why the water level in the glass doesn’t rise as soon as the candle is covered. The candle warms the air, and this increases the air volume inside the glass.

When the candle burns out (because all the oxygen is used up), the temperature cools quickly. This temperature decrease means the volume also decreases, which lets the water rise to fill up that space. This is called Charles’s Law.

Charles’s Law tells us that the ratio of volume to temperature must remain the same, so if one goes down the other goes down too.

Charles's Law. Picture of Charles's law equation of Volume 1 over Temperature 1 equaling Volume 2 over Temperature 2. V=Volume T=Temperature

These two parts of the experiment work together. Both the volume change and temperature also affect the pressure in the system we created. When temperature decreases (the physical component) and the size of the matter decreases (the chemical component), the pressure of the gas inside the glass decreases too.

This lower pressure inside means the water can rise as well. This is explained by the Ideal Gas Law.

The idea of air pressure can be a bit challenging for young children to understand. It isn’t something they can clearly see, so that makes sense. But they can understand something changing size, in other words when volume changes.

If the air inside the glass takes up less space, it makes sense for the water to fill in that space and rise inside the glass.

Ideal Gas Law Equation. PV=nRT. V=Volume, T=Temperature, n=Moles, P=Pressure, R=Ideal Gas Law Constant

I understand that we went over a lot of more complicated concepts here. (And don’t worry, I’ve listed the definitions for the terms below to help out.) Am I really expecting young kids to understand and retain all this?

No. I mean, it would be cool if they did. And some might. But realistically that is not the point of this kind of science. The purpose of giving these explanations is so that you as a caregiver can quickly get the reasoning behind this project and interpret it for your children.

It is helpful for your children to see these experiments. Even if they don’t fully understand the details, this experience is adding to their understanding of how the world around them works. It builds their science base.

Using the vocabulary helps kids as well. First, it gives new words which are always helpful for communication skills. But I think, more importantly, it demystifies science later in life. Science can feel like a whole new language as we get older, and that can be very intimidating. If we have been exposed to these terms though, it’s less scary. We might not know exactly what they mean but we know that we have heard them before. This helps kids feel like science belongs to them. Because it does.

Text: Rising Water Experiment Science for Kids. Top Picture: shallow dish with blue water, candle in the middle with empty glass upside down on top. Bottom picture: candle has burned out and water level in the glass has gone up

Helpful Definitions

Here are a few helpful definitions for the raising water experiment.

The conservation of matter law states that matter is not destroyed or created. It can change forms, but the total amount stays the same.

Charles’s Law tells us that the volume of a gas is directly proportional to the temperature of the gas. As the volume decreases, the temperature decreases, for example.

The Ideal Gas Law describes the conditions a gas is under and how those conditions will vary as compared to each other. The pressure of the gas multiplied by the volume will always equal the number of moles multiplied by the temperature and ideal gas law constant.

The Scientific Method

Since an adult is needed to run do this experiment with kids (fire safety!), it is a great time to talk through the scientific method! Here is a guideline of what that can look like with this STEM experiment.

(And don’t forget to learn all the life lessons that come along with the scientific method here: Beyond the Science- What Kids Are Really Learning .)

Ask your child, what do they think is going to happen when we put the glass on the candle? The key here is to listen and let them think it through. No answer is too far out there or wrong at this step.

The observation step is key throughout any experiment, but take a moment and look at their components. What do they notice about them? How do they normally behave? What do they already know about them?

Narrow down your potential answers and decide on one or a couple of outcomes you think are most likely. This is your hypothesis.

Time to run the experiment! Encourage your children to keep watching what is happening. (In this particular observation, sight is going to be the key thing to focus on. Some touch is possible, watching out for the flame of course. And you can encourage smell and hearing for practice.

What did they observe? Now is the time for them to tell you everything they can about what just happened.

This is where we form the conclusions and apply the information we learned. Do they think this will always happen? How did the results match or differ from their hypothesis?

Real experiments always lead to more questions. What does your child want to try next? What would they change in the experiment? Does more water in the dish change anything? Can they try to suck up all the water? Would adding a different liquid change the results?

Even if you aren’t able to complete any of their additional experiment ideas, it is a good idea to think of ways to explore more. Plus it is amazingly fun to hear all the ideas kids have.

Text: Rising Water Experiment Science for Kids! Picture: shallow dish with blue water. Small votive candle in the center of the dish with glass upside down on top. Water level within glass has risen

This is a great experiment to do over and over. It’s fast, cheap and full of fun learning. It’s a must-do!

-Kim

Let’s find your next fun activity!

Links to: STEM activities for kids Text: STEM Picture: raincloud in a jar experiment

Raising Water Experiment

How to do the raising water experiment that will wow kids!

  • Food Coloring (optional)
  • Lighter or Matches
  • Fill your shallow dish with enough water to cover the bottom. Add food coloring. (optional)
  • Place your votive in the middle of the dish.
  • Light the votive candle.
  • Place the glass upside down over the candle.
  • Wait for the candle to burn out and watch the water rise!

This is a science experiment that needs adult supervision and help. It uses fire and needs an adult to be safe.

To clean up, gently pull the glass off the candle. Make sure the candle cools and the water can go down the drain.

How useful was this post?

Click on a star to rate it!

Let us improve this post!

Tell us how we can improve this post?

Text: Fireworks Experiment Science for Kids. Picture: Red star cookie cutter with chemical reaction creating bubbles with glitter bubbling up

* Checkbox GDPR is required

This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed .

  • free-science-experiments
  • the-magic-water-trick

The Magic Water Trick!

Don't Click Here!

There is a risk that you'll get a face full of water with this experiment but it's a great way to learn all about air pressure and just one of those experiments that's got to be seen to be believed!

What Do I Need?

  • A piece of paper or cardboard
  • Possibly a plate or bowl to catch the water!

How Do I Do It?

STEP1  - First things first...fill your glass of water around one third full.

STEP2   - Put a piece of paper or cardboard (cardboard does work slightly better but a good old piece of copy paper will still do the job!) over the top of your glass.

STEP3   - This is the tricky bit! Hold the paper flat across the top of your glass and quickly flip the glass upside down. As long as you flip it over quickly the water won't come out!

STEP4   - Optional: Hold the upside down glass of water over either your head or preferably someone else's head!

Magic Water Trick - What Do I Need?

What’s Going On?

This is a great example of air pressure in action! 

Everyone presumes that the water will just drop straight out of the cup...

But as the water forms a seal with the glass the water can't fall because of the air pressure 'sucking' it back up! 

The air pressure of the air in the room also pushes it up too!

Magic Water Trick - How Do I Do It?

More Fun Please! - Experiment Like A Real Scientist!

  • Does putting a different amount of water into the glass make a difference?
  • How about varying whether you use card or paper to cover your glass?

Want A FREE Science Experiment Book?

If you like fun science experiments then you'll love this FREE Science experiment book....

It's packed full of awesome experiments you can do at home with "stuff" you've already got. 

Your FREE Science experiment book is:

  • 5 Star Reviewed
  • Dragons' Den Approved
  • Yours completely FREE. 

Click Here to download your FREE copy now!

Your FREE Science Experiment Book!

Kids Party Coming Up?

If you like fun science experiments then you’ll love the Dragons’ Den winning Sublime Science Party.  Check price & availability in your area and grab your FREE Kids Party Survival Guide right now!

Dragons Den Winning Science Party

Home  -  About  -  Privacy Policy  -  Terms & Conditions  - Facebook - Instagram - LinkedIn - Twitter - Sitemap - Blog - Contact

Copyright 2008-2023 - Sublime Science - All Rights Reserved - Registered in England and Wales, Company Number 6680269. Registered Address: The Sublime Science Lab (Unit4) Fernleigh Business Park, Blaby Rd, Enderby, Leicester LE19 4AQ - Call: 0116 380 0750

You Just Couldn't Resist!

There's some serious science behind why you just clicked! 

If you'd like more awesome science experiments then enter your email address below and grab your FREE science experiment book!

You'll get your FREE copy of 'Don't Eat Your Slime', weekly 'Top Secret Science Experiment Printables' and occasional awesome offers. Happy experimenting!

(enter your email address below to get your FREE science experiment book)

YES, I Want My FREE Experiment Book!

( You'll get your FREE copy of 'Don't Eat Your Slime', weekly 'Top Secret Science Experiment Printables' and occasional awesome offers. Happy experimenting!  

Steve Spangler

Toothpick Star Table Trick

Broken toothpicks and water come together so they can spread out and make a star in a dish.

Print this Experiment

match water glass experiment

It’s always fun to use simple materials in simple ways and really surprise people with the results. OK, this one is part science and part magic but the results are all real. You start out with broken toothpicks and end up with a star-shaped design after just a few drops of water are added. The best part is that you can watch the change take place right in front of you.

Experiment Videos

Here's What You'll Need

Smooth plate or table top, 5 unused, round toothpicks, drinking straw (or eyedropper or pipette), water in a cup, adult supervision, let's try it.

match water glass experiment

Start with round toothpicks that are brand new and dry. Without breaking them completely, bend each one at the middle so it cracks but doesn’t break into two pieces. Press the ends together to widen the split.

match water glass experiment

Place the split middles of the toothpicks together in the center of the plate to form a star shape. The edges of the toothpicks should touch each other. You’ve made a closed, five-pointed star.

match water glass experiment

Load some water into the straw (or the eyedropper or the pipette). If you’d like, practice releasing small amounts of the water a drop at a time from the straw.

match water glass experiment

Use the straw to add drops of water at the middle of the star where the splits are closest to each other.  The goal is to place the water so that all the exposed, broken ends get soaked.  However, don’t add so much that the toothpicks start to float.

The right amount of water reforms your closed star into an open, recognizable shape in seconds.

How Does It Work

The toothpicks you used were probably made of dried birch wood. When you break the toothpicks, you stretch and compress the wood fibers inside them.  When you put drops of water in the middle of the closed star formation, the dry wood fibers in each broken toothpick absorb some of it. This causes the fibers to swell and then to expand.  The absorption of the water into the toothpick is due to capillary action. Capillaries are microscopic hollow tubes within the wood that draw water along the length of the toothpick. Capillaries normally carry water and food throughout a living plant’s stem and leaves.

As the wood absorbs the water, each individual toothpick tries to straighten itself as the soaked fibers expand.  This straightening action causes the toothpick ends to push against each other.  As the toothpicks straighten and push against each other, the inside of the star opens up into the final star shape.

Take It Further

If you want to take this scientific magic trick a bit further, here are some ideas for you:

  • Test whether hot or cold water makes the movement faster or slower. What about salt water or sugar water or something else dissolved in water? What about other types of water like distilled or bottled?
  • Find out what surface allows the greatest expansion of the fibers: a plastic tablecloth? a wooden table? a formica countertop? a glass surface? a flat surface? a curved surface? etc.
  • Test other liquids. Maybe the caffeine in coffee or cola will speed things up a little. Maybe milk or cream will make it a lot slower. Tests like these are what science is all about!

Did you know?

Toothpick manufacturers (most of them are in Maine, USA) steam birch logs to make them easier to cut. The logs are then peeled into thin sheets, sort of like unrolling paper towels. Flat toothpicks are stamped out of the sheets. Round toothpicks are first cut into oversized pieces and then fed into a milling machine called a “rounder.” This machine grinds them down into the shape you see. Birch is used for its strength and low cost as well as its smooth texture and small likelihood of splintering.

Related Experiments

match water glass experiment

Human Table Trick

Table tricks are a great addition to any meal. Do you want to whip the tablecloth out from under they place settings? Great! Oh, you're […]

match water glass experiment

Balancing Utensils

A balanced diet is always a good idea to help you stay healthy. Here’s an activity that’ll be a hit at home or at your […]

match water glass experiment

Spinning Match - Table Trick

When you cautiously balance a matchstick on the rim of a coin that has also been precariously balanced onto another coin, it might sound like […]

Impossible Egg Crush - Cover Image

Impossible Egg Crush

Eggs are amazingly strong despite their reputation for being so fragile.  An egg can withstand nearly your entire strength as you try to squeeze it. […]

match water glass experiment

The Science of Keeping Flowers Fresh

Drop in a penny… spritz with a sugary soda… stir in vinegar… or give the flowers an Aspirin (which might be needed after all of […]

match water glass experiment

Moss Graffiti

Graffiti is a topic of debate in the modern world. While some consider graffiti a nuisance, others consider it street art. With that debate still […]

Browse more experiments by concept:

  • JOIN COURSES

Upside-Down Water Glass Trick

Upside-Down-Water-Cup-STEM-Science-Experiment

Upside-down water glass trick is an awesome STEM kids science experiment for kindergartners and preschoolers to explore air pressure and gravity.

Is it possible to fill a glass with water and turn it upside down without spilling? This Upside-Down Water Glass Trick will leave your preschooler in awe! Besides, you will be using commonly available items, so no specialized equipment is required. Most importantly, this STEM kids science experiment will reveal how air pressure and gravity work in a fun and hands-on way!

WHAT you will need for this Upside-Down Water Glass Trick:

  • paint samples (you can also use index or playing cards, or a thick cardstock)
  • various cups
  • science glasses (buy blue here and pink here )

Upside-Down-Water-Glass-Trick

HOW to conduct this STEM Kids Science Experiment:

Before you get started with your Upside-Down Water Glass Trick, make sure your paper is large enough to completely cover the mouth of the glass. First, pour water into the glass, filling it to the top. Next, cover the mouth of the cup with the paper. Thereafter, while keeping your hand on the card, turn the cup upside down. Lastly, slowly take your hand away and the paper will stay in place, as well as the water. The trick works as long as the paper doesn’t become completely soaked. Make sure to hold the cup over the tub or waterproof tray just in case of an accidental spill.

Ways to adapt Upside-Down Water Glass Trick:

Try this experiment by changing the amount of water in the cup. Also, try different containers. Does it make any difference? Will a wider cup hold the paper better than a narrower cup? Does the temperature of the water have any effect on the water staying inside the cup?

Upside-Down-Water-Cup-STEM-Science-Experiment

Revealing the Science Mystery behind this cool STEM Trick:

The mystery is the air that we breathe! Air molecules in the atmosphere exert almost 15 pounds of pressure per square inch of surface area. However, we do not notice it because our body is used to feeling this kind of air pressure. When you turn the cup upside down, the pressure of the air inside the cup and the air pressure outside the cup is equal. So, you might notice that a little water leaks out between the paper and the cup. The leak happens because the force of gravity pulls down on the water. When some of the water escapes, this causes the volume of air (the space above the water inside the cup) to slightly increase. Even though the amount of air above the water stays the same, the volume occupied by the air is now greater so the air pressure inside the cup decreases. So, the pressure of the air outside the cup is now greater than the pressure inside the cup. Also, the water creates an airtight seal between the rim of the cup and the paper, thus keeping the paper in place. However, when the seal is broken even slightly, air enters into the cup, equalizes the pressure, and the gravity pushes the water out.  When the pressure of the air molecules inside and outside the cup is the same, gravity takes over, and the paper falls down, spilling all the water!

Please, always supervise your children.

Upside-Down-Water-Glass-Trick

If you liked this STEM Kids Science Experiment, see HERE Leak-Proof Bag experiment. Also, see HERE Dancing Corn-Raisin trick. Lastly, see HERE Fizzing Painting.

♡ Enriching the Mind one Heart at a time ♡

For more ideas, find us on Instagram , Facebook , and Pinterest .

  • Click to share on Pinterest (Opens in new window)
  • Click to share on Facebook (Opens in new window)
  • Click to email a link to a friend (Opens in new window)
  • Click to share on Twitter (Opens in new window)

POSTS YOU MIGHT LIKE

You might also like.

Home-Made-Water-beads-Lava-Lamp

Home-Made Lava Lamp With Water Beads

Sight-Words-Digger-Sensory-Tray

Sight Words Digging Sensory Tray

Soft shelled 🏐bouncy raw 🐣egg kids 🔬⚗️⚖️ science 101 🎥 series 🎇.

[…] DETAILS HERE Upside-Down Water Glass […]

CHAT WITH ANYA Cancel reply

Copyright 2024 © Montessori From The Heart ♡ All Rights Reserved Disclaimer

As a participant in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program and LTK, I earn affiliate commission from qualifying purchases.

Please enable JavaScript in your browser to view the content

SEARCH MY BLOG

Discover more from montessori from the heart.

Subscribe now to keep reading and get access to the full archive.

Type your email…

Continue reading

Cool Science Experiments Headquarters

Making Science Fun, Easy to Teach and Exciting to Learn!

Science Experiments

Upside Down Glass of Water Science Experiment

Have you ever tried turning a glass of water upside down without spilling it? It seems impossible! Both kids and adults will be amazed by this experiment that appears to defy gravity.

With just a few simple household items, you can try this simple and fun science experiment where kids can get see the effects of air pressure in action. Printable instructions, a demonstration video, and an easy to understand explanation of how it works are included below.

Helpful Tip: Be sure to try this experiment over a sink or large container lest you accidentally make a BIG wet mess!

Upside Down Water Glass Science Experiment

JUMP TO SECTION:   Instructions  |  Video Tutorial  |  How it Works

Supplies Needed

  • Drinking Glass
  • Thick Sheet of Paper that is long and wide enough to cover the entire mouth of the glass. (We used a piece of poster board)
  • Large Container or Sink

Upside Down Glass of Water Science Lab Kit – Only $5

match water glass experiment

Use our easy Upside Down Glass of Water Science Lab Kit to grab your students’ attention without the stress of planning!

It’s everything you need to  make science easy for teachers and fun for students  — using inexpensive materials you probably already have in your storage closet!

Upsidedown Glass of Water Science Experiment Instructions

match water glass experiment

Step 1 – Begin by filling the empty glass with water. Ensure that the water is completely to the top of the glass. If there is any space between the water and the paper, the experiment won’t work.

match water glass experiment

Step 2 – Gently place the paper on the top of the glass.

match water glass experiment

Step 3 – Move the glass over the container or sink. 

match water glass experiment

Step 4 – Gently place your hand on the paper, then flip the glass over. What do you think will happen if you remove your hand? Write down your hypothesis (prediction) and then follow the steps below.

Step 5 – Remove your hand from the bottom and watch in amazement as the paper stays covering the glass and the water doesn’t spill out. Do you know why this happens? Find out the answer in the how does this experiment work section below.

Upside Down Water Glass Video

How Does the Experiment Work?

The reason this experiment works is because of air pressure! Air pressure is the weight of a column of air pushing down on an area. While we cannot feel it, the air is heavy! The weight of the air pushing down on all objects on Earth is the same as the combined weight of three cars! The reason we don’t feel this extreme weight is that the molecules in air push evenly in all directions – up, down, sideways, diagonally. In this experiment, the air pushing up from underneath the paper is strong enough to overcome the weight of the water pushing down on the paper. Because of the air pressure pushing up on the card, the card will stay on the glass and the water will not spill out.

Do note that while the paper will stay for a while, the paper will become saturated and it will fall eventually.

More Science Fun

If you enjoyed this experiment, then you’ll definitely enough these other cool science experiments that also highlight the power of air.

  • Balloon Rocket – Make a balloon that flies across the room like a rocket
  • Keep Towel Dry Under Water – Use simple science to keep the paper towel dry after submerging it in water
  • Put a Straw through a Raw Potato – Yes, you can easily stick a drinking straw through a hard raw potato

I hope you enjoyed the experiment. Here are some printable instructions:

Upside Down Water Glass Science Experiment

Upside down Glass of Water Experiment

Instructions.

  • Begin by filling the empty glass with water. Helpful Tip: Ensure that the water is completely to the top of the glass. If there is any space between the water and the paper, the experiment won’t work.
  • Gently place the paper on the top of the glass.
  • Move the glass over the container or sink.
  • Gently place your hand on the paper, then flip the glass over.
  • Remove your hand from the bottom and watch in amazement as the paper stays covering the glass and the water doesn’t spill out.

Upside Down Water Glass Experiment Steps

Reader Interactions

' src=

February 18, 2023 at 4:11 pm

Air Pressure.

Leave a Reply Cancel reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

Save my name, email, and website in this browser for the next time I comment.

match water glass experiment

  • Privacy Policy
  • Disclosure Policy

Copyright © 2024 · Cool Science Experiments HQ

Stack Exchange Network

Stack Exchange network consists of 183 Q&A communities including Stack Overflow , the largest, most trusted online community for developers to learn, share their knowledge, and build their careers.

Q&A for work

Connect and share knowledge within a single location that is structured and easy to search.

Why does the water rise?

It's a very popular experiment ( eg ), from elementary school : put a burning candle on a dish filled with water, cover the candle with an inverted glass: after a little while, the candle flame goes out and the water level inside the glass rises.

The standard explanation (as I recall it) was that combustion "burns" oxygen, and the consummed volume accounts for the extra water that goes inside the glass. Is this correct? I remember feeling (years later) uncomfortable with the explanation, because "to burn" is certainly not "to dissapear": I thought that oxygen combustion produces (mainly) $CO_2$ and hence one oxygen molecule would produce another $CO_2$ molecule, and the volume would remain basically the same. Perhaps $CO_2$ dissolves into the water? I would doubt that.

To add to my confusion, others state that the main cause is not the oxygen combustion but the changes of air temperature, that decreases when the flame goes out and makes the air inside the glass contract... which would rather invalidate the experiment as it was (and is) traditionally taught to students.

What is the right explanation?

enter image description here

(image from here )

Update : As from webpage linked in accepted answer, there are several effects here, but it's fair to say that the "traditional" explanation (consumption of oxygen) is wrong. Oxygen (plus paraffin) turn into $CO_2$ (plus water) (a representative reaction: $C_{25}H_{52}+38O_2 \to 25CO_2+26H_2O$ ). This would account for a small reduction in volume ( $25/38 \approx 2/3$ ), even assuming that this is the complete chemical picture (it's not) and that water condenses ( $CO_2$ dissolves in water poorly and very slowly). The main cause here is thermal expansion-contraction of air.

  • home-experiment
  • physical-chemistry

leonbloy's user avatar

  • $\begingroup$ Is there a stackexchange for chemistry? Maybe they could provide better help. $\endgroup$ –  Lemon Commented Jan 4, 2012 at 1:58
  • $\begingroup$ @jak Not yet. $\endgroup$ –  Manishearth Commented Mar 15, 2012 at 7:21
  • $\begingroup$ @Manishearth Yes there is - chemistry.stackexchange.com It is in beta, though. $\endgroup$ –  Dave Coffman Commented Jul 28, 2014 at 22:06
  • $\begingroup$ @DaveCoffman look at the date on that comment. I moderate Chem.SE, I know about it :P $\endgroup$ –  Manishearth Commented Jul 28, 2014 at 22:28
  • $\begingroup$ Geez - Sorry about that. $\endgroup$ –  Dave Coffman Commented Aug 2, 2014 at 18:19

3 Answers 3

I found two web pages that explain the phenomenon quite well, and even looks into the misconceptions people have.

The candle flame heats the air in the vase, and this hot air expands. Some of the expanding air escapes out from under the vase — you might see some bubbles. When the flame goes out, the air in the vase cools down and the cooler air contracts. The cooling air inside of the vase creates a vacuum. This imperfect vacuum is created due to the low pressure inside the vase and the high pressure outside of the vase. We know what you're thinking, the vacuum is sucking the water into the vase right? You have the right idea, but scientists try to avoid using the term "suck" when describing a vacuum. Instead, they explain it as gases exerting pressure from an area of high pressure to an area of low pressure. A common misconception regarding this experiment is that the consumption of the oxygen inside of the bottle is also a factor in the water rising. Truth is, there is a possibility that there would be a small rise in the water from the flame burning up oxygen, but it is extremely minor compared to the expansion and contraction of the gases within the bottle. Simply put, the water would rise at a steady rate if the oxygen being consumed were the main contributing factor (rather than experiencing the rapid rise when the flame is extinguished). (1)

The page from Harvard goes into more detail on the argument versus the error for the incorrect statement.

Argument : Oxygen is replaced by Carbon dioxide. So, there is the same amount of gas added than taken away. Therefore, heat alone most be responsible for the water level change. Source of the Error : A simplified and wrong chemical equation is used, which does not take into account the quantitative changes. The chemical equation has to be balanced correctly. It is not true that each oxygen molecule is replaced by one carbon dioxide molecule during the burning process; two oxygen molecules result in one carbon dioxide molecule and two water molecules (which condense). Remember oxygen is present in the air as a diatomic molecule. [A reader clarifies the water condensation in an email to me as follows: If the experiment were done with the sealing fluid able to support a temperature greater than 212 F and the whole system held above this temperature then the water product of combustion would remain gaseous and the pressure within the vessel would increase as a result of three gaseous molecules for every two prior to combustion and the sealing fluid would be pushed out.] Argument : Carbon dioxide is absorbed by the water. Thats why the oxygen depletion has an effect. Source of the Error : This idea is triggered from the fact that water can be carbonized or that the oceans absorb much of the carbon dioxide in the air. But carbon dioxide is not absorbed so fast by water. The air would have to go through the water and pressure would need to be applied so that the carbon dioxide is absorbed during the short time span of the experiment. Argument : The experiment can be explained by physics alone. During the heating stage, air escapes. Afterwards, the air volume decreases and pulls the water up. Source of the Error : the argument could work, if indeed the heating of the air would produce enough pressure that some air could leave. In that case, some air would be lost through the water. But one can observe that the water level stays up even if everything has gone back to normal temperature (say 10 minutes). No bubbles can be seen. Argument : It can not be that the oxygen depletion is responsible for the water raising, because the water does not rise immediately. The water rises only after the candle dims. If gas would be going away, this would lead to a steady rise of the water level, not the rapid rise at the end, when the candle goes out. Source of the Error : It is not "only" the oxygen depletion which matters. There are two effects which matter: the chemical process of the burning as well as a physical process from the temperature change. These effects cancel each other initially. Since these effect hide each other partially, they are more difficult to detect. (2)

It clearly has more to do with the temperature differences than any conversion of gases. Especially considering that a volume of oxygen and carbon dioxide will be nearly identical to human eye observation.

Community's user avatar

  • 4 $\begingroup$ I'd trust Harvard (second footnote I am guessing). $\endgroup$ –  Skava Commented Jan 4, 2012 at 3:11
  • 2 $\begingroup$ Yes "Skava", now go to bed! $\endgroup$ –  Larian LeQuella Commented Jan 4, 2012 at 3:12
  • 3 $\begingroup$ This answer is useful in pointing the best explanation I've seen (the second link), but the text is plainly copied other pages (should be formatted as quotes) and does not make clear the general summary/conclusion. $\endgroup$ –  leonbloy Commented Jan 4, 2012 at 13:49
  • $\begingroup$ I'd question one thing from that answer, though: Nowhere is a vacuum created. There's always air in the glass, and it always fills the whole space not occupied by water. When the air cools down, it doesn't contract by itself, only its pressure goes down (intuitively: Since the molecules get slower, they hammer less onto the water surface). As result the water is pressed more in by the air outside than out by the air inside, and thus flows inside. This rising water compresses the air inside, which causes air density and thus pressure inside to rise again until equilibrium is reached. $\endgroup$ –  celtschk Commented Jan 18, 2012 at 5:47
  • 1 $\begingroup$ The second quotation seems to contradict the first one: first says "you might see some bubbles", the second one: "No bubbles can be seen". $\endgroup$ –  Ruslan Commented Jul 4, 2018 at 9:25

I have not actually tried this experiment, but I will make at least a few observations:

Hypothesis 1: The burning of oxygen is responsible for the reduced air pressure.

Prediction - if the burning of oxygen is the sole cause of the change in pressure, we should expect to see the water in the glass rise at a more or less constant rate from the moment the environment is sealed until the burning stops. After the candle extinguishes, there should be no more change in water level.

Hypothesis 2: The reduction in temperature after the candle extinguishes is responsible for the reduced air pressure.

Prediction - if the temperature change is the sole cause of the change in pressure, we should expect to see no change in water level while the candle is burning (in the limit that the glass was lowered very slowly). After the burning stops, the water should rise at a rate related to the temperature drop and eventually stop as the experimental setup comes to room temperature.

In order to test which explaination is correct, you should be able to merely perform the experiment and match the observation with the prediction. Of course, in real life it may be a combination of these two factors or perhaps include other reasons not listed here.

Additional measures such as putting an oxygen indicator in the glass (say a fresh slice of apple) or a thermometer would provide further insight.

AdamRedwine's user avatar

  • 1 $\begingroup$ As oxygen is burned - how many moles of CO2 do you get for each mole of O2 used? $\endgroup$ –  Martin Beckett Commented Jan 3, 2012 at 23:15
  • 1 $\begingroup$ @MartinBeckett: Not to mention it's mostly carbon monoxide because it's imperfect burning. $\endgroup$ –  Mike Dunlavey Commented Jan 4, 2012 at 3:15
  • 1 $\begingroup$ @MartinBeckett: The pertinent equation seems to be something like $C_{25} H_{52} + 38 O_2 => 25 C O_2 + 26 H_2 O$. So for 1 mole of oxygen we have 0.65 moles of $C O_2$ - a moderate reduction, and this assuming water condenses. $\endgroup$ –  leonbloy Commented Jan 4, 2012 at 14:40
  • 1 $\begingroup$ @leonbloy - although with a smoky candle you do get a lot of CO. Plus since O2 is only 20% of air it would at most be a (1-0.65)*0.21 = 7% change in volume even with full combustion $\endgroup$ –  Martin Beckett Commented Jan 4, 2012 at 16:26
  • $\begingroup$ @MartinBeckett: you are right, of course. See the Harvard link in the other answer for the complete picture. $\endgroup$ –  leonbloy Commented Jan 4, 2012 at 16:36

I will make this into an answer because the idea behind this question is used in an ancient medical metho d which was still used by practical nurses and even prescribed by old fashioned doctors when I was a child more than half a century ago in Greece. It is now used in alternative medicine practices

The air inside the cup is heated and the rim is then applied to the skin, forming an airtight seal. As the air inside the cup cools, it contracts, forming a partial vacuum and enabling the cup to suck the skin, pulling in soft tissue, and drawing blood to that area.

I think it was the invention of antibiotics which diminished rapidly its use, which was mainly for bronchitis pneumonia and similar afflictions, at least in Greece.

As far as the question goes, no liquids to confuse the issue of its being a strongly temperature dependent effect.

anna v's user avatar

  • $\begingroup$ Indeed, the practice is known as "cupping" and is often offered at spas and other health resorts. $\endgroup$ –  AdamRedwine Commented Jan 4, 2012 at 13:15
  • $\begingroup$ +1 In spanish: "ventosa". I've seen it applied by my grandmother many years ago. $\endgroup$ –  leonbloy Commented Jan 4, 2012 at 13:37

Not the answer you're looking for? Browse other questions tagged water home-experiment physical-chemistry or ask your own question .

  • Featured on Meta
  • We've made changes to our Terms of Service & Privacy Policy - July 2024
  • Introducing an accessibility dashboard and some upcoming changes to display...

Hot Network Questions

  • Old story about the shape of a robot and its ability to not break down
  • Some group conditions imply non-trivial centre
  • Why do many CVT cars appear to index gears during normal automatic operation?
  • How do the Fremen harvest spice?
  • What is the difference between the complex numbers i and -i?
  • Is there a formal definition of an animal?
  • Undersupplied LM2576 buck-boost converter: Prevention, and where is all the power going?
  • Electric power transfer
  • Check What Device is Powering my Mac
  • What is the anti-trust argument made by X Corp's recent lawsuit against advertisers that boycotted X/Twitter
  • Regression with highly unbalanced explanatory variable
  • Expected Value of random variable in terms of hazard function
  • Coupon Collector vs. Geometric Distribution: Catching All 150 Pokémon
  • Does the sum of the reciprocal highly composite numbers converge or diverge?
  • My world has a god who appears regularly to inflict punishment on wrongdoers. Is long-term sinning still possible?
  • Ceiling fan light stays dimly lit
  • Can I say "he lived in silk" to mean he had a luxury life in which he was pampered with luxurious things?
  • Can chronal shift be applied to yourself?
  • Word/phrase for avoiding a task because it has a lot of unknowns
  • How to output the number of polygons in each face of a classic flat body?
  • Can right shift operation be implemented using hardware multiplier just like left shift?
  • A spaceship travelling at speed of light
  • Map Shift+Alt+Period
  • Why did all countries converge on the exact same rules for voting (no poll tax, full suffrage, no maximum age, etc)?

match water glass experiment

match water glass experiment

  • About Blenko
  • Product Type Water Bottles Bowls, Centerpieces, and Vases Building Blocks Drink and Barware Ornaments & Suncatchers Auctions Lighting E-Gift Card

featured collection one

Drink and Barware

sun faced decanters with stoppers

Bowls, Centerpieces, and Vases

  • Discover Blenko’s History Vintage Catalogs Historic Glass Preservation Line West Virginia Day Pieces Factory Gallery Auctions
  • Visit Us Visit Blenko Glass Events Factory Tours
  • Read More Press FAQ

Blenko’s History

Blenko’s History

100 years of West Virginia handcrafted glass.

Glass Factory Tours

Glass Factory Tours

Now open to the public

Your cart is empty

Helios: Venus Prototype #13

Helios: Venus Prototype #13

Bidder Amount Date

Own a piece of Blenko design lore! You may recall that just on the cusp of releasing our stunning Helios: Venus 384 Water Bottle, the furnace that had Ganymede died a spectacular death. We had completed the prototyping and sampling phase and were juuuust about to let them loose when all plans changed.

We accordingly have some really spectacular and interesting samples left from the whole experience - and no capacity any time soon to try them again. But we’re not going to sit back on them and let them collect dust, either.

These Helios: Venus 384 bottles are numbered 1-22, stamped Helios, and ‘Artists Proof,’ and these idiosyncratic wonders are what we have left from our grand Ganymede experiment. They are far from perfect! In fact, very few of these would be considered ‘first quality’ for their glass quality – our only warning sign of the furnace death that was upon us. Most of these bottles have cords, or small inclusions; some are underblown or have other minor flaws. None of these is perfect. But they’re pretty dang cool and pretty uniformly gorgeous - so it’s up to you!

We are going to design a new Venus bottle within the Helios series, don’t worry! But for those who are already eager to - and on track to - collect the entire series, this will be the bonus piece that brings that collection over the top.

We do not accept returns on auctioned items. We have provided multiple photo views of each numbered bottle so that you, yourself, can decide if the flaws present are flaws you can live with.

Choose options

Let customers speak for us

I feel that J. Blenko’s sandblasted signature adds pizzazz to a classy line of unique glass products.

Girl Scouts of Black Diamond Council Suncatcher - Turquoise

Not quite as transparent as previous ones.

The color is incredible and it makes me happy to look at it

Your browser is not supported

Sorry but it looks as if your browser is out of date. To get the best experience using our site we recommend that you upgrade or switch browsers.

Find a solution

  • Skip to main content
  • Skip to navigation
  • hot-topics Extras
  • Newsletters
  • Reading room

Tell us what you think. Take part in our reader survey

Celebrating twenty years

  • Back to parent navigation item
  • Collections
  • Chemistry of the brain
  • Water and the environment
  • Chemical bonding
  • Antimicrobial resistance
  • Energy storage and batteries
  • AI and automation
  • Sustainability
  • Research culture
  • Nobel prize
  • Food science and cookery
  • Plastics and polymers
  • Periodic table
  • Coronavirus
  • More navigation items

Coffee experiment prompts method for accelerating aluminium–water reaction in seawater

Julia Robinson

  • No comments

Adding small amounts of imidazole can accelerate the aluminium–water reaction in seawater, enabling hydrogen to be produced at a faster rate. The method, developed by researchers at Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) in the US, also enables the retrieval and reuse of over 90% of the costly gallium–indium metal alloy used to enhance the reactivity of aluminium in water.

The group at MIT has been working to develop a way of producing hydrogen fuel from aluminium using a gallium–indium metal alloy since 2015. ‘I started working on this specifically for powering underwater vehicles,’ says Aly Kombargi , a PhD student at MIT and lead researcher on the study. ‘But the more I was working with it, the more I thought the reaction itself was interesting for many different types of applications…and I thought, how do we make this more sustainable, more affordable and more efficient.’

When aluminium is in contact with oxygen, it forms a thin aluminium oxide layer on its surface, which safeguards the metal from corrosion. However, to initiate the aluminium–water reaction, it is necessary to first permeate this oxide layer. ‘In my lab, we use a gallium–indium alloy – this disrupts the oxide layer, makes the aluminium involved more brittle and essentially allows the full reaction to occur and consume all of the aluminium – so it’s pretty efficient,’ explains Kombargi.

However, gallium and indium are expensive rare metals so the researchers were keen to find a way to recover the alloy after the reaction, to make the process more sustainable. ‘We found that if we used an ionic solution, such as seawater, the ions would form a barrier around the gallium–indium, preventing it from de-alloying throughout the reaction, and therefore allowing the recovery post reaction,’ Kombargi says.

They found that 99 to 100% of the gallium–indium alloy could be recovered when performing the aluminium–water reaction in seawater, but it also slowed the reaction down significantly. They therefore set out to find a compound that could accelerate the reaction. ‘We played around with everything we had in our kitchen and essentially what we found was that coffee accelerated the reaction significantly,’ says Kombargi. ‘So, I isolated the caffeine and used very low concentrations, [resulting in a] fast reaction and 30% recovery of the gallium–indium.’

match water glass experiment

MIT engineers Aly Kombargi (left) and Niko Tsakiris (right) work on a new hydrogen reactor, designed to produce hydrogen gas by mixing aluminum pellets with seawater

Source: © Tony Pulsone

match water glass experiment

A researcher activates aluminium by dipping an aluminium pellet in a mixture of gallium–indium

match water glass experiment

Aly Kombargi holds a jar of aluminum pellets as they start to react in seawater

The team then reached out to their colleagues in the chemistry department at MIT to find out what was happening when they added caffeine. The chemists suggested that it could be down to a cyclic component in the molecular structure of caffeine; an organic compound called imidazole.

Using just 0.02M of imidazole the researchers went on to achieve significantly better recovery ratios while maintaining high reaction rates. ‘That was our big win – we found out that we could recover the gallium–indium at 90% by mass, and we could have a fast reaction within 10 minutes and a full reaction – so 100% of the aluminium would be consumed,’ says Kombargi.

Looking closely at the molecular structure of imidazole the researchers found that the presence of free nitrogen atoms bonding to the metals’ surface seemed to inhibit corrosion and increase reaction rates, although Kombargi says they still need to confirm the exact mechanism.

The researchers are now exploring the possibility of using recycled aluminium for the reaction – such as used soda cans that are shredded and compacted into pucks – and are doing a cost analysis to establish how much this will reduce the cost and carbon emissions of the hydrogen production process.

Upul Wijayantha , interim director of energy and sustainability at Cranfield University in the UK says the researchers use of saltwater and imidazole was an ‘interesting twist’ on hydrogen production. ‘One of the two biggest challenges when it comes to hydrogen is getting the hydrogen from where it’s being produced to where it’s need at the lowest possible cost and in the safest possible way,’ he explains. ‘We have a water issue at a global scale; if you can use sea water to make hydrogen, that’s wonderful.

‘It’s [also] really interesting that they used a caffeine molecule – if you can control the acceleration or introduce deceleration, [and] if it can be done in a chemical environment with low-cost chemicals and recovery of some of those – they talk about 90% recovery [of gallium-indium] - that’s really interesting,’ he adds. ‘It’s important that we as a community interested in working on decarbonisation do as much as we can. Going forward from this, we need to look at scalability and how can we reduce the cost, and the total carbon footprint associated with the process.’

A Kombargi et al , Cell Reports Physical Science , 2024, DOI: 10.1016/j.xcrp.2024.102121

Julia Robinson

More Julia Robinson

Two large open ended pipes emerging from a large industrial white box of a carbon capture system

Carbon capture gets personalised touch to match best tech with right location

Shards

Archaeological dig at Tycho Brahe’s island lab reveals some of his alchemical secrets

Nobel medal

Robert Mulliken’s Nobel prize medal latest to go up for auction

  • Hydrogen fuel

Related articles

Ocean

Electrochemistry offers new way to tackle rising carbon dioxide – extract it from seawater

2023-03-10T09:31:00Z

By Rebecca Trager

The sea

Water-splitting device solves puzzle of producing hydrogen direct from seawater

2022-12-06T14:30:00Z

By Victoria Atkinson

Seawater battery

Electrolyte redesign boosts seawater battery

2022-06-09T08:18:00Z

Engineering students

High school students design a bottle that turns seawater into drinking water

2022-04-26T13:15:00Z

By Lily Newton

An image showing sea waves

Seawater-splitting system could scale-up renewable hydrogen production

2021-03-03T14:30:00Z

By James Urquhart

An image showing the CrOx/Cu–Ni/Cu foam

Foam catalyst performs hydrogen evolution in neutral conditions

2018-12-13T09:54:00Z

By Anthony King

No comments yet

Only registered users can comment on this article..

Molten uranium

Uranium trichloride exhibits transient covalency when hot

2024-08-07T11:21:00Z

By Rupo Mapanga

GettyImages-1431804702

Chemical ‘waves’ used to encode words as Morse code

2024-08-06T13:33:00Z

By Kira Welter

Toxoplasma

Therapeutic proteins can hitch a ride on parasite to bypass blood-brain barrier

2024-08-05T13:30:00Z

India budget

Budget leaves Indian researchers searching for funding following cuts to universities

2024-08-05T08:30:00Z

By Sanjay Kumar

AI chatbot

Should scientists be paid when AI chatbots use their work?

2024-08-02T08:30:00Z

By Dalmeet Singh Chawla

Injection pens manufacturing

Weight-loss drugmakers bet billions on boosting supplies

2024-08-01T08:40:00Z

  • Contributors
  • Terms of use
  • Accessibility
  • Permissions
  • This website collects cookies to deliver a better user experience. See how this site uses cookies .
  • This website collects cookies to deliver a better user experience. Do not sell my personal data .
  • Este site coleta cookies para oferecer uma melhor experiência ao usuário. Veja como este site usa cookies .

Site powered by Webvision Cloud

Zhukovsky International Airport

Zhukovsky International Airport, formerly known as Ramenskoye Airport or Zhukovsky Airfield - international airport, located in Moscow Oblast, Russia 36 km southeast of central Moscow, in the town of Zhukovsky, a few kilometers southeast of the old Bykovo Airport. After its reconstruction in 2014–2016, Zhukovsky International Airport was officially opened on 30 May 2016. The declared capacity of the new airport was 4 million passengers per year.

match water glass experiment

Sygic Travel - A Travel Guide in Your Pocket

Get it on Google Play

More interesting places

  • Privacy Policy
  • STOCK 360° TRAVEL VIDEOS

Top.Mail.Ru

Current time by city

For example, New York

Current time by country

For example, Japan

Time difference

For example, London

For example, Dubai

Coordinates

For example, Hong Kong

For example, Delhi

For example, Sydney

Time difference between Rome, Italy and Kratovo, Moscow Oblast, Russia

Time in Rome Time in Kratovo


Rome’s time zone: CEST or +02:00


Kratovo’s time zone: MSK or +03:00

Rome, Italy

Kratovo, russia.

  • Kratovo, Moscow Oblast /

Best cafes in Kratovo, Moscow Oblast

  • Current location
  • Point on map

Tikhaya Zavod'

IMAGES

  1. Match and Water in a Glass Science Magic Trick ⚡️SimpleTechPRO⚡️

    match water glass experiment

  2. Match and Water in a Glass Science Magic Trick

    match water glass experiment

  3. Match in a Glass Experiment

    match water glass experiment

  4. Rising Water Experiment

    match water glass experiment

  5. Water In Glass Experiment with pin

    match water glass experiment

  6. Try This Fun Science Magic Trick with Just Water, a Glass and a Match

    match water glass experiment

VIDEO

  1. water glass VS gas experiment कमाल हो गया

  2. Water glass experiment || #viral #experiment #diy #art #

  3. The Disappearing Glass Experiment! #Science #STEM #ScienceExperiments #Shorts

  4. water and glass experiment #trandingshorts #experimnent #trandingsong #yt #

  5. copper pin vs water glass experiment #science#copperpin

  6. Water Glass Experiment🥶😅😳♥️ ll #shortsviral #Experiment #shorts

COMMENTS

  1. Match and Water in a Glass Science Magic Trick

    Secure the match so that it is upright by setting a quarter or other small heavy object on the end of the matchstick. Use the second match to light the match that you placed on the plate. Immediately invert a glass over the burning match. The water will flow into the glass and will remain in the glass even after the match has been extinguished.

  2. How to do a Match in a glass science experiment

    This video shows you how to do a classic bar trick: match in a glass sucks in all the surrounding water. A great kitchen science experiment for kids (adult s...

  3. How to perform the match in a glass science experiment

    Science experiments can be cool magic tricks! This kids' science video gives you step by step instructions for our match in a jar science experiment. Enterta...

  4. Match Stick in the Glass

    The Experiment1. Fill a plastic cup up with water.2. Add 2 or 3 drops of food colouring to the water. This will make the movement of the water easier to see ...

  5. Water cycle in a jar

    The reason why you first fill the whole jar with water is to heat the glass. You want the condensation of water to take place in the "atmosphere", not on the cold glass. The food coloring is for making it easier to see the water through the jar. Experiment You can turn this demonstration into an experiment. This will make it a better science ...

  6. Water sucking glass

    Place the tealight on the surface (it floats) and light it. Then take the glass, place it directly above the tealight, and push the glass straight down to the bottom. Since there is air in the glass, the tealight and water surface will be pushed down to the bottom. For a while, the candle will burn well below the water surface, trapped inside ...

  7. Match In A Glass Trick

    Highball glass. Water. Food colouring (optional) Number of players: 2+. Activity: Use the blu-tack or playdough to stick the unlit match, upright to the plate. Pour a moat of water around the match (you can colour the water with food colouring to make it more fun if you want!). Get an adult to light the match for you.

  8. How to Make a Cloud in a Bottle

    Probably the easiest way to make a cloud in a bottle is using a plastic bottle, water, and a match. This method produces a water vapor cloud, just like a real cloud. 1-liter plastic bottle. Warm water. Match. Pour enough warm water into the bottle to cover the bottom. Give it a swirl, if you like. Light a match, blow it out, and drop it into ...

  9. MetLink

    A glass Matches Candle Food colour Water Saucer or plate. Method. 1. Put a very little water on a plate, and mix in a couple of drops of food colour. 2. Place a candle in the middle of the plate, and light it. Slowly bring a glass down on top of the candle until it is standing in the water, on the plate. 3. Watch what happens next!

  10. Rising Water Experiment

    This just makes it easier to see and is fun, so totally optional. Step 3: Place your small votive in the middle of the dish. Step 4: Light the candle, then quickly place the empty glass over the flame, touching the water. Now wait while the candle burns out. Step 5: Watch as the water rises up into the glass!

  11. The Magic Water Trick

    STEP1 - First things first...fill your glass of water around one third full. STEP2 - Put a piece of paper or cardboard (cardboard does work slightly better but a good old piece of copy paper will still do the job!) over the top of your glass. STEP3 - This is the tricky bit! Hold the paper flat across the top of your glass and quickly flip the ...

  12. Toothpick Star Table Trick

    Press the ends together to widen the split. Place the split middles of the toothpicks together in the center of the plate to form a star shape. The edges of the toothpicks should touch each other. You've made a closed, five-pointed star. Load some water into the straw (or the eyedropper or the pipette). If you'd like, practice releasing ...

  13. Upside-Down Water Glass Trick

    First, pour water into the glass, filling it to the top. Next, cover the mouth of the cup with the paper. Thereafter, while keeping your hand on the card, turn the cup upside down. Lastly, slowly take your hand away and the paper will stay in place, as well as the water. The trick works as long as the paper doesn't become completely soaked.

  14. Burning Candle Rising Water Experiment

    Place the candle in the middle of the plate or bowl. 2. Optional: If your candle can't stand by itself, use some playdough to help it stand upright. 3. Optional: Mix water with food coloring in a separate container. The food coloring helps you see the rising water better. 4. Pour the colored water into the plate (to about 1 cm in depth). 5.

  15. How to Light a Match Inside 2 Glasses (one full of water ...

    Amazing Experiments that will show ou how to simply light a match inside a glass inserted in a glass full of water. It is simple and practical life hack wit...

  16. Upside Down Glass of Water Science Experiment

    Step 1 - Begin by filling the empty glass with water. Ensure that the water is completely to the top of the glass. If there is any space between the water and the paper, the experiment won't work. Step 2 - Gently place the paper on the top of the glass. Step 3 - Move the glass over the container or sink.

  17. home experiment

    It's a very popular experiment (), from elementary school : put a burning candle on a dish filled with water, cover the candle with an inverted glass: after a little while, the candle flame goes out and the water level inside the glass rises.The standard explanation (as I recall it) was that combustion "burns" oxygen, and the consummed volume accounts for the extra water that goes inside the ...

  18. Helios: Venus Prototype #13

    You may recall that just on the cusp of releasing our stunning Helios: Venus 384 Water Bottle, the furnace that had Ganymede died a spectacular death. We had completed the prototyping and sampling phase and were juuuust about to let them loose when all plans changed.We accordingly have some really spectacular and interesting samples left from ...

  19. Coffee experiment prompts method for accelerating aluminium-water

    Coffee experiment prompts method for accelerating aluminium-water reaction in seawater. By Julia Robinson 2024-08-07T07:19:00+01:00. No comments. Adding small amounts of imidazole ...

  20. Best shawarma in Kratovo, Moscow Oblast restaurants

    Explore best places to eat shawarma in Kratovo, Moscow Oblast and nearby. Check prices of chicken shawarma and lamb shawarma. Compare reviews of beef shawarma and donairs.

  21. Match in a Glass Experiment

    The flames from the matches are heating the air inside the glass. The heated air expands and quickly comes out from under the glass. As soon as the flames di...

  22. Zhukovsky International Airport

    Zhukovsky International Airport, formerly known as Ramenskoye Airport or Zhukovsky Airfield - international airport, located in Moscow Oblast, Russia 36 km southeast of central Moscow, in the town of Zhukovsky, a few kilometers southeast of the old Bykovo Airport. After its reconstruction in 2014-2016, Zhukovsky International Airport was officially opened on 30 May 2016.

  23. Time difference between Rome, Italy and Kratovo, Moscow Oblast, Russia

    No wonder you're late. Why, this watch is exactly two days slow.

  24. Best cafes in Kratovo, Moscow Oblast

    Explore full information about cafes in Kratovo, Moscow Oblast and nearby. View ratings, addresses and opening hours of best restaurants.

  25. Matchstick and plastic Glass Amazing Water absorb Experiment

    This video is Matchstick and plastic Glass Amazing science experiment by (Experiment Hacker)Because the water absorb the heat like share and subscribe the ch...