Getting A Golf Ball Into A Baby Food Jar?

Key Concepts:

• Thermal Expansion and Contraction: The principle that materials change in volume in response to temperature changes.
• Dry Ice: Solid carbon dioxide, used as a cooling agent due to its extremely low temperature (-110°F).
• Molecular Movement: The concept that molecules move faster and spread out at higher temperatures, and slow down and move closer together at lower temperatures.

Demonstration of Thermal Contraction

The core concept demonstrated is the principle of thermal contraction. The presenter begins by stating the impossibility of fitting a standard golf ball into a baby food jar due to the golf ball's larger size compared to the jar's opening.

Cooling the Golf Ball with Dry Ice

The presenter proposes using the scientific principle of thermal expansion and contraction to overcome this limitation. The key idea is to cool the golf ball, causing it to contract.

• Dry Ice Application: Dry ice (frozen carbon dioxide) is introduced as the cooling agent. The presenter highlights its extremely low temperature of -110°F as the reason for its effectiveness.
• Procedure: Golf balls are placed inside a container with dry ice. A safety warning is given about not touching dry ice with bare hands.

Expected Outcome and Warning

The presenter explains that once the dry ice starts to heat up, the golf ball will expand. The presenter warns that once the golf ball expands, it will not be able to be removed from the jar.