An engaging re-creation of the 17th Century work of Torricelli and von Guericke, where students use a four story parking garage to build a water barometer from simple materials, is described. A novel aspect of the experiment is the simultaneous erection of a saturated sodium chloride barometer. The experiment introduces the following topics: pressure, density, solubility, boiling point, vacuum, vapor pressure, Dalton's, and Henry's Laws. The 10.4 m height of the water barometer offers a more easily visualized comparison to the 8.8 m for the saltwater barometer, than to either a mercury barometer or values from a weather service. This offers immunity from the difficult systematic corrections which would otherwise make comparisons frustrating, especially for novices. The experiment is suitable for students from high school through advanced college level, depending on the level of sophistication used in analysis. As part of the experience, we create a video documenting the activity.

Demonstration of chemical and physical principles through group construction of side by side freshwater and saltwater barometers

245th National Meeting (2013)

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