Air, Air pressure, Aerodynamics Misconceptions

HOB Science Tools Misconceptions Directory

Concepts

Air

Misconceptions

Air = wind and is made my trees, blowing, fans, …made when it is captured, balloons, bags
Air in only found in sky
Bubbles in boiling water is made of air.
Air does not have any weight.

Concept

Air Pressure

Misconception

There are two types of air pressure: high and low
When air is heated it expands and causes high pressure
When air is cooled it contracts and causes low pressure

Concept

Egg in a bottle
Fire in bottle, then put Egg on top of bottle activity heat expanded air egg sealed bottle air cooled contracted air pressure outside pushed egg into bottle
Blow up a balloon in bottle

Misconception

Heat brought oils, water out of egg and it slid into the bottle.
Heat melted some of the egg so it got smaller and fell into the bottle
The fire sucked the egg into the bottle.
You can just blow the balloon up or push it in with a pencil
Put balloon over bottle fill with water and the water will push it in. Then let the water evaporate and it will stay in.

Concept

Aerodynamics

Misconception

Paper planes students didn't have concept of gravity as pulling plane down. Also The higher up an object is in the air the more air is pushing down on it.
Hard throwing causes the plane to go less or spiral to the ground and crash.
Nose has to be pointed. Makes it go farther and guides it better.
The larger the surface area of the wings the more the air could lift the plane.

Robert Sweetland's Notes ©