Science Club

With Tennis Balls in the Freezer, it must mean that Science Club has started again!
Last week saw after-school science club recommence.  This term there are bubble club sessions for both Year 3 (on Wednesdays) and Year 4 (on Fridays).
Our first session was all about how fluids (liquids and gases) are affected by temperature. Children saw how water and air both expand when heated, and then contract when cooled. The children were particularly excited by hot air quickly inflating a rubber glove.
Afterwards the question was posed as to what happens when a fluid is heated, but it does not have space to expand into? Answer – The pressure of the fluid increases. Tennis balls were used to demonstrate this. Children tested tennis balls that had been stored at different temperatures (room temperature, fridge temperature and freezer temperature) and found that the warmer the tennis ball was, the higher it bounced, so meaning the higher the air pressure was within it. The children concluded that tennis balls will bounce higher on a hot, summer’s day, compared to a cold, winter’s day.