More Amazing things about Air!

Another experiment to do with 'Air' that we tried was to see if molecules of air could stop paper from getting wet.

What we needed:

Small Glass

A screwed up ball of paper

Glass bowl filled with water

What we did: Put the paper in the bottom of the glass then turned the glass upside down over the bowl and lowered it in to the water. We then lifted the cup straight up out of the bowl and took the paper out.

What happened and why?

The paper remained dry because when the glass was pushed in to the water, the molecules of air did not escape. Instead, they were pressed together and acted as a shield between the water and the paper. 

Pretty cool -  huh?!