In our initial models to explain how an odor gets to our nose, students are starting to question if an odor is like other types of matter. It's obvious that something as simple as a coin has mass, but how can we gather evidence to support the idea that something we can't see or feel has mass, too?
Using a bunch of sports balls, sixth graders used a two-pan balance (and a digital scale to check their work) to find the mass of the balls when they were both inflated and deflated. Everyone noticed a change in the mass. Despite how small that change was...one thing was for certain. Air, which we can't see or feel (unless someone moves it with enough force), has mass.
How can this idea help us further develop our model for how we can smell from a distance?
Using a bunch of sports balls, sixth graders used a two-pan balance (and a digital scale to check their work) to find the mass of the balls when they were both inflated and deflated. Everyone noticed a change in the mass. Despite how small that change was...one thing was for certain. Air, which we can't see or feel (unless someone moves it with enough force), has mass.
How can this idea help us further develop our model for how we can smell from a distance?