Can We Prove That Air Takes Up Space?

Materials:

• Clear cup
• Paper Towel
• Bowl of water

Procedure:

• Place a balled up paper towel at the bottom of a clear cup. (tape it to secure it to the bottom of the cup).
• Turn the cup over and submerge it straight down in the water.

Observations:

• What did you observe about the paper towel when the glass was placed in the water?
• How does this demonstrate that air takes up space?
• What would happen to the paper towel if air did not take up space?