Materials Required:
l Saw
l Board
l Small glass bottle with a protruding lip
l Metal trash can
l Water
l Cork
l Hammer
The help of one of your parents
Procedure:
- Ask one of your parents to use the saw to cut a notch in a long, flat board so that the bottle can be suspended from it by resting the glass lip on the wood.
- Lay the board across a metal trash can. Fill the bottle to the top with water and insert the cork. Make sure there is no trapped air (no air bubbles) inside. Set the bottle in the notch.
- Now, ask one of your parents to tap the cork with a hammer, tapping a little bit harder with each strike of the hammer. With very little force, the bottle will shatter into the trash can. Of course, no one should try to pick up the broken pieces—leave them in the trash can.
This Is What Happens:
When the cork is hit with the hammer, a force is created that is transmitted into the water. Since the water is confined in a single area, the force is scattered throughout the substance in all directions. The walls of the glass bottle cannot withstand this great pressure, and they break.
