Card and Glass
Equipment: A playing card, a glass, colored water and a tray.
What it does: The card is placed on the glass of water and they are turned upside down. The water stays in the glass.
Concepts Demonstrated: Air pressure.
Classroom assembly:
- Fill the glass with colored water.
- Place the card on the glass.
- Keeping the card in place, slowly turn the glass upside down over the tray in case of spillage.
- Release the card. The water will stay in the glass.
Cautions: This demonstration requires practice in advance.
Setup Time: Short.
Difficulty: Straightforward.
Visibility: High. This demonstration is appropriate for large lecture halls.
Related demonstrations:
References: PIRA 2B30.45
Walter Thumm "A question of air pressure" TPT ?, 242 (April 1973)
Original Construction: Purchased.
Disclaimer: All demonstrations are posted for the convenience and benefit of faculty and staff in the Department of Physics at Simon Fraser University and are not intended for outside use. The author(s) assume no responsibility or liability for the use of information contained on this site. Warnings and precautionary measures listed on this site assume normal operation of equipment and are not inclusive. Demonstrations may pose a significant hazard and can, in some instances, result in death; reasonable safety precautions must be taken. Demonstrations should be performed by qualified individuals only.
Prepared by Jeff Rudd, 1999
Revised by Laura Schmidt, 2007