Bladder Glass

Title

Bladder Glass

Subject

Pneumatics

Description

This is a device used to demonstrate the effect of atmospheric pressure. A glass vessel with openings at the bottom and top has its large top opening covered by a piece of animal bladder that is tied to seal it around its edges. As air is pumped from the vessel through the bottom opening, atmospheric pressure causes the bladder to deform downward, ultimately bursting with a loud bang. This seemingly simple effect is mentioned in the majority of nineteenth century physics textbooks.

Source

Property of the W&L Physics & Engineering Department

Files

bladder glass and heliostat 001.JPG
Date Added
November 14, 2011
Tags
Citation
“Bladder Glass,” Antique Scientific Instruments at Washington and Lee University, accessed April 18, 2024, https://physicsapparatus.omeka.net/items/show/6.