Now that was cool, but what happened? First off, earths air supply is known as our atmosphere.
Atmosphere - the mass of air surrounding a planet
So the air surrounding earth is earths atmosphere. Now air has mass so it weighs something, and the atmosphere is constantly pressing down on the earth. Our atmoshpere weighs aproxamently 6 billion tons! At sea level 1 square inch can weigh 14.7 pounds! So why don't we feel all that weight? Because the air is pushing us on all sides, its like tying two ropes to a rock and pulling with equel strength from both sides, the rock won't move. So we don't feel the air pressure, but it is still there.
So lets start...
we have 1 candle
1 shallow glass bowl
and 1/2 cup blue water.
I put my blue water in my bowl,
it fill it a about 2/3 of an inch deep.
I put the candle in the center of the water.
Lit the candle.
and placed 1 pint jelly jar on top.Now air is made up of 78% nitrogen, 21% oxygen, and 1 % other gases.
When fire burns it uses up the oxygen in the air, if it is a sealed enviroment it will use up all the oxygen and then die out.
The flame begins to fade as the oxygen is used.But when the oxygen molecules are used the air cannot exert as much pressure.
So the pressure on the outside of the jar is stronger or 'heavier' then the air on the inside.
So the air on the outside begins to push the water down and it goes up into the jar because the air pressure on the inside is no longer sufficient to equel out the water. For more information on air pressure read Exploring Creation with Physical Science by Dr.Jay L. Wile. (Module 3, pages 57-61)
