Hands-On Investigations for Teaching Properties of Air

June 4, 2026

I remember the first time I had to teach the properties of air. I was thinking, what's to teach? Air is just air, right? After a lot of research I realized there are many things students need to learn about air. Here are five simple, hands-on investigations students can do to learn about air.

Adult supervision is recommended for all activities. Parents and teachers should evaluate each activity for the age, ability, and needs of their children. By participating, you assume responsibility for any risks associated with the activity

Time: 30 minutes (for all 5 investigations)

Investigation #1

Students will observe:

It's difficult to push the cup all the way down. This is because there is air in the cup that is taking up space, there is no place for the water to go!

Questions to pose to students:

Why can't you push the cup all the way down?
What could you change to make the water go up in the cup?

Investigation #2

Students will observe:

When the bottle is place in the cold water the balloon deflates quicky.
When the bottle is placed in the warm water the balloon inflates slightly - the warmer the water is the more it will inflate. If using hot water, have an adult demonstrate that part.

Questions to pose to students:

When the bottle inflates, what is causing it to inflate? Where is the air coming from?
When the bottle deflates, what is causing it to deflate? Where is the air going?

Investigation #3

Objective: Students will understand that air takes up space.

Materials:

Syringe (with no needle)

Steps:

Students will pull back the syringe.
Place the tip of the syringe (no needle) against the palm of their hand.
Try to push the plunger down.

Students will observe:

It will be very difficult to push the plunger when their hand is blocking the opening.

Questions to pose to students:

Why can't you push the plunger down any farther?
What could you change to make it so you could push the plunger down farther?

Investigation #4

Objective: Students will understand that air is all around us and take up space.

Materials:

An inflated beach ball

A deflated beach ball

Steps:

Students will pick up the deflated ball and make observations.
Students will pick up the inflated ball and make observations (noticing how it can't put pushed all the way down).

Students will observe:

That they cannot push the inflated beach ball all the way down.
There appears to be a small amount of air inside the deflated beach ball.

Questions to pose to students:

Why can't you push the inflated beach ball all they way down?
What could you do to make it so you could push the beach ball all the way down?

Investigation #5

Students will observe:

Students will see a slight difference in the mass (about 1 gram).

Questions to pose:

How much more does the inflated balloon weigh?
What is causing the difference in mass?

FAQ

What materials did you use?

You don't need to use the exact materials we've listed—similar items will often work just as well. We've included links to products we've used and liked in case they're helpful while gathering supplies.

Clear plastic cups
Paper towels
Large bowl of water
Empty water bottle
Balloon
Bowl of ice water
Bowl of warm water
Syringe* (with not needle)
Beach Balls*
Digital Scale* (it came with batteries too!)

Will I need parent volunteers to help with these investigations?

None of these investigations are very difficult. Provide your students with written instructions and they shouldn't have too much trouble. If you are the only adult in the room I suggest you spend your time near investigation #2 that has the hot and cold water.

What if I see no difference in mass from weighing the two ballons?

A deflated and inflated balloon only have a difference in mass of about 1 gram. We suggest that you have several balloons blown up to test several. I also suggest that you blow up the balloon as large as you can before it pops.