What happens when you apply pressure to air ???!!?

Question

Im a grade 7 student doing a science fair project. I am using a syringe to press air through a tube. I want to know what happens to its molecules.

Answer 1

One of the properties that is unique to gasses is their ability to be compressed (liquids and solids cannot be compressed). When you compress a gas, you compact the molecules and increase the density of the solution. This will result in an increase of pressure, and will generate heat. As you compress the gas molecules, they begin to excite, exerting pressure as you reduce the space between the molecules. If you can increase the pressure enough (i.e. compress the gas into a small enough volume) the gas will change states and may become liquid or solid.

Hope this helps! :)

Answer 2

Can you give some more info on what you want to test? Feel free to shoot me an e-mail for help, it might be easier than this way.

so, when you apply pressure to air, what happens depends on whether or not the air has somewhere to go. if you push it through an open tube (say with the other end being immersed in water) you will see the displacement of the air as bubbles. However, if the tube is closed, you will find it gets harder and harder to push with the syringe as you compress the air w/o giving it somewhere to go.

Answer 3

You have a very light (undetected to human senses) temperature rising. The molecules move faster but in closest ranges and the pressure of air rises.

Answer 4

If you apply pressure to air and it has nowhere to go, then it warms up. The air molecules (nitrogen, oxygen, etc.) are moving faster.

Answer 5

The air will compress and heat up.