Every Thanksgiving table has a turkey baster somewhere nearby. It’s usually used in the kitchen to keep the turkey moist and delicious, but did you know it can also be a science tool? That’s right—your turkey baster can teach you about air pressure, force, and motion! In this experiment, you’ll use a baster to move objects without touching them. It’s like magic, but it’s really science at work.
What You’ll Need
Grab these supplies from around the house:
- A turkey baster (a big eyedropper works too)
- A ping pong ball or lightweight plastic ball
- A cotton ball or pom-pom
- A cranberry (fresh or dried)
- A lightweight plastic cup
- A flat surface like a table or countertop
Optional: Set up a “race track” using cardboard strips, books, or masking tape.
Step-by-Step Instructions
- Load Up: Hold the turkey baster in your hand and squeeze the bulb. Notice how air rushes out of the tip.
- Test with a Cotton Ball: Place a cotton ball on the table. Use the baster to blow bursts of air at it. See how it rolls across the surface!
- Try Other Objects: Now test your ping pong ball, cranberry, or plastic cup. Which one moves easiest? Which one is harder to push?
- Set Up a Race: Grab a sibling or friend, and each pick an object. Use your basters to race across the table to a finish line. No touching allowed—just air power!
- Experiment with Distance: Hold the baster close to the object, then farther away. How does distance affect the force of the air?
The Science Behind the Baster
When you squeeze the bulb of the turkey baster, you’re pushing air out of the tube. That air has mass, which means it can apply force to objects in its path. This is the same principle that helps sailboats glide across water, balloons fly around a room when released, and even jet engines push airplanes into the sky.
- Air Pressure: Air may seem invisible, but it’s made up of tiny molecules that take up space and exert pressure.
- Force in Motion: When you squeeze the bulb, the air is forced out quickly, transferring its energy to the object and making it move.
- Size Matters: Lightweight objects (like cotton balls) move easily because they have little mass. Heavier ones (like cranberries or plastic cups) need more force to move.
This simple experiment is a fun way to see Newton’s laws of motion in action—especially the idea that an object will stay still until a force (in this case, air) pushes it.
Fun Variations to Try
Want to turn your experiment into a full Thanksgiving science challenge? Try these:
- Obstacle Course: Build a mini maze out of books or blocks and see if you can blow your object through it.
- Cranberry Bowling: Line up a few small paper cups like bowling pins. Can you knock them over with a cranberry powered by your baster?
- Distance Test: Measure how far you can blow each type of object. Which one travels the farthest?
- Team Relay: Work in teams to move objects across the table. Pass the object to the next person’s “lane” like a relay race.
Real-Life Connections
This turkey baster experiment might look like a silly table game, but it connects to real science all around us:
- Wind Power: Just like your baster pushes objects with air, wind pushes sails on boats and blades on wind turbines to create energy.
- Jet Engines & Rockets: Air (or exhaust gases) shooting out the back of an engine propels planes and rockets forward.
- Everyday Tools: Basters, pipettes, and droppers all use air pressure to move liquids and gases in labs and kitchens.
So after Thanksgiving dinner, when the turkey baster is no longer needed in the kitchen, grab it and put on a science show. You’ll see that sometimes the simplest tools lead to the most exciting discoveries—and the most fun family competitions!
