Air – a Pressing Matter | Classroom Idea Sheet

Students are in for a surprise when they attempt to lift a mat that is held in place by only the air that is pressing down from above

Standards alignment

Common Standards — cross-referenced to the Common Core State Standards, the Next Generation Science Standards and the California Content Standards.
Standard	Framework	Grade	Subject	Domain
Develop a model using an example to describe ways the geosphere, biosphere, hydrosphere, and/or atmosphere interact. [Examples: the influence of the ocean, of the atmosphere; & of mountain ranges]	Next Generation Science Standards	Grade 5	Earth and Space Science	Earth’s Systems
Develop a model to describe that matter is made of particles too small to be seen. [ Examples: adding air to expand a basketball, compressing air in a syringe, dissolving sugar in water, & evaporating salt water.]	Next Generation Science Standards	Grade 5	Physical Science	Matter and its Interactions
Plan an investigation to provide evidence that the change in an object’s motion depends on the sum of the forces on the object & the mass of the object.	Next Generation Science Standards	Middle School	Physical Science	Motion and Stability: Forces and Interactions
Analyze data to support the claim that Newton’s second law of motion describes the mathematical relationship among the net force on a macroscopic object, its mass, & its acceleration. [Objects subject to a net unbalanced force, e.g., an object falling , rolling down a ramp, or a moving- pulled by a constant force.]	Next Generation Science Standards	High School	Physical Science	Motion and Stability: Forces and Interactions

California Standards — cross-referenced to the Common Core State Standards, the Next Generation Science Standards and the California Content Standards.
Standard	Framework	Grade	Subject	Domain
1.g. Properties of solid, liquid, and gaseous substances, such as sugar (C6H12O6), water (H2O), helium (He), oxygen (O2), nitrogen (N2), and carbon dioxide (CO2).	CA Science	Grade 5	01. Physical Sciences	1. Elements and their combinations account for all the varied types of matter in the world.
4.e. The Earth’s atmosphere exerts a pressure that decreases with distance above the Earth’s surface, and is the same in all directions.	CA Science	Grade 5	03. Earth Sciences	4. Energy from the sun heats the Earth unevenly, causing air movements resulting in changing weather patterns.
4.e. Differences in pressure, heat, air movement, and humidity result in changes of weather.	CA Science	Grade 6	04. Energy in the Earth System	4. Many phenomena on the Earth’s surface are affected by the transfer of energy through radiation and convection currents.