College of Liberal Arts & Sciences
2B30.15 - Crush The Soda Can
Code Number:
References:
2B30.15
Demo Title:
Crush The Soda Can
Condition:
Excellent
Principle:
Air Pressure, Crush Pressure
Area of Study:
Heat & Fluids
Equipment:
Soda Cans, Boiling Water, Hot Plate, Tongs, and Pan with 1 Inch of Cold Water in it.
Procedure:
Put 20 ml of water into a pop can and put onto the hot plate. Let the water come to a boil and continue for 2 minutes. Quickly take the can off the hot plate with the tongs and invert into the cold water. The can should collapse dramatically. 1 gallon and 5 gallon cans can also be collapsed in this manner.
- Hewitt, "Figuring Physics, TPT, Vol. 60, #2, Feb. 2022, p. 136.
- Hewitt, "Figuring Physics", TPT, Vol. 51, # 1, Jan. 2013, p. 8.
- Anonymous, "Figuring Physics-Whopped Can", TPT, Vol. 49, # 2, Feb. 2011, p. 70.
- Pirooz Mohazzabi, "The Physics of the Imploding Can Experiment", TPT, Vol. 48, # 5, May 2010, p. 289.
- Mike Shaw, "'A Golden Oldie': Canned Again", TPT, Vol. 44, # 3, March 2006, p. 184.
- L. M. Gratton and S. Oss, "An Extension of the Imploding Can Demonstration", TPT, Vol. 44, # 5, May 2006, p. 269.
- Ronald Bryan, "Avogadro's Number and the Kinetic Theory of Gases", TPT, Vol. 38, # 2, p. 106, Feb. 2000.
- Mario Iona, "Thermodynamics of Cans", TPT, Vol. 35, # 8, Nov. 1997, p. 452.
- Brian W. Holmes, "Save Those Soda Cans", TPT, Vol. 35, # 5, p. 281, May 1997.
- James E. Stewart, "The Collapsing Can Revisited", TPT, Vol. 29, # 3, p. 144, March 1999.
- James McGahan, "Collapsing Soda Cans and Efficiency", TPT, Vol. 28, # 8, p. 550, November 1990.
- Ron Edge, "Strength and Shape", TPT, Vol. 25, # 1, Jan. 1987, p. 50.
- John G. McCaslin, "Barrels are More Fun Than Beer Cans", TPT, Vol. 21, # 8, Nov. 1983, p. 520.
- Tim Taylor, "The Imploding Beer Can", TPT, Vol. 20, # 7, Oct. 1982, p. 458.
- E. Scott Barr, "Comments On the October Issue", TPT, Vol. 20, # 9, Dec. 1982, p. 578.
- P. B. Visscher, "Simple Student-Repeatable Atmospheric Pressure Demonstration", AJP, Vol. 47, #11, Nov. 1979, p. 1015.
- F- 025: "Collapsing Cans and Drums", DICK and RAE Physics Demo Notebook.
- H- 068: "Balloon in Flask - Collapse Can", DICK and RAE Physics Demo Notebook.
- M - 855: "Stand on Pepsi Can", DICK and RAE Physics Demo Notebook.
- Julien Clinton Sprott, Physics Demonstrations, "2.4, Collapsing Can", p. 74, ISBN 0-299-21580-6.
- "Experiment with a Vacuum", The Boy Scientist, p. 170.
- Shar Levine, Leslie Johnstone, "Pumping Aluminum", Silly Science, Chapter 4, p. 12.
- Bobby Mercer, "Can Crusher", Junk Drawer Chemistry, 2016, p. 191.
- Tik L. Liem, "The Crushing Pop Can", Invitations to Science Inquiry - Supplement to 1st and 2nd Ed. p. 26.
- Borislaw Bilash II, “Crush the Can“, A Demo A Day – A Year of Physical Science Demonstrations, p. 88.
Disclaimer: These demonstrations are provided only for illustrative use by persons affiliated with The University of Iowa and only under the direction of a trained instructor or physicist. The University of Iowa is not responsible for demonstrations performed by those using their own equipment or who choose to use this reference material for their own purpose. The demonstrations included here are within the public domain and can be found in materials contained in libraries, bookstores, and through electronic sources. Performing all or any portion of any of these demonstrations, with or without revisions not depicted here entails inherent risks. These risks include, without limitation, bodily injury (and possibly death), including risks to health that may be temporary or permanent and that may exacerbate a pre-existing medical condition; and property loss or damage. Anyone performing any part of these demonstrations, even with revisions, knowingly and voluntarily assumes all risks associated with them.