Not all air is equal

For the following experiment you will need...

• an empty glass
• a candle
• a lighter

Be careful! Only do this experiment with adult supervision.

Light the candle. You should now fill the glass with hot air. How can you do that?

a) It is impossible to fill a glass with hot air. If I could manage to get the hot air inside, the air would escape right away because the glass has no lid.

b) I place the candle above the glass so that the hot and therefore heavy air from the environment of the candle can go down into the glass.

c) I place the glass over the candle upside down. The hot air is less dense and therefore climbs up and is caught in the glass.