Answer Boyle's Law experiment questions?

I have to do this expirement to demonstrate Boyle's Law, which relates pressure and volume. I don't have all the materials so imagine the expirement and help me answer the Analysis questions plz?

Materials:
Medicine dropper (may be purchased at local grocery store), balloon, rubber band, graduated cylinder, water

Procedure:
-The medicine dropper is the "diver" which will be put into the water.

-Fill the graduated cylinder with water to about an inch from the top.

-Fill the medicine dropper almost the entire way with water. You may need to turn it over and fill it to get enough water into the dropper.

-Place the diver into the graduated cylinder. It should just float on top of the water. If it sinks, you have too much water in the dropper. Take it out an release one or two drops of water.

-Cut the balloon in half following the diagram.

-Stretch the balloon to cover the mouth of the cylinder tightly and wrap the rubber band around the top to hold the balloon tightly in place.

-Press on the balloon with your thumb. Watch the diver closely. Look at the water level in the diver. The diver should sink to the bottom of the cylinder. IF IT DOES NOT SINK, there is not enough water in the diver. Repeat steps 2-6, putting more water into the dropper.

Analysis Questions:
1.What happens to the air in the top of the graduated cylinder when you press on the balloon?

2.What does this do to the water level in the diver? Why?

3.What happens to the air in the diver when you press on the balloon?

4.Why does the diver sink?

5.This is a demonstration of "Boyle's Law" which relates pressure and volume. Fill in the blanks below:

When air pressure increases, the volume of the air _______________.

When air pressure decreases, the volume of the air ______________.

Comments

One Response to “Answer Boyle's Law experiment questions?”
  1. daktari9204 says:
    May 6, 2010 at 7:28 pm

    BTW, it’s called a Cartesian Diver… In answer to your questions:

    1) Air pressure/density increases

    2) It rises

    3) It compresses

    4) The air occupies less volume, and thus it contains more water, more mass, and becomes more dense than the surrounding fluids.

    5) decreases, increases