Black Holes

Materials 

• Aluminum foil
• Scissors or sharp tool
• A flexible tape measure
• Weighing scale
• Latex balloon 

Activity Directions 

1. Watch the Crash Course Astronomy video linked below 
2. Test your understanding of black holes by playing the Quizizz game linked below.
3. Do the Creating a Black Hole Activity (Note: The video linked below also provides instructions on how to perform this activity) 
   1. Blow up the latex balloon. 
   2. Use the aluminum foil to completely wrap the inflated balloon, making sure that the surface of the balloon is completely covered. 
      1. This wrapped balloon represents a large star. 
   3. Measure and record the circumference and mass of the balloon using the tape measure and scale respectively (Note: The circumference is the length around the middle of the balloon). 
   4. Gently squeeze the balloon using your hands. The balloon should resist being squeezed because of the air pressure inside the balloon. 
      1. You squeezing the balloon represents the force of gravity on a star. The air pressure in the balloon resisting the pressure represents the fusion energy from the core of stars which combats the pressure from gravity. 
   5. Using the scissors, pop the balloon but make sure to not crush the aluminum foil (Note: this step can be dangerous and adult supervision is strongly recommended). 
      1. The balloon being popped represents the end of a star’s life as it runs out of fuel and the balance between gravity and nuclear fusion is broken. 
   6. Now, gently squeeze the aluminum sphere again and observe how there isn’t any more resistance. Press the aluminum ball so it’s about an inch smaller in diameter than before; then, record the diameter and mass of the ball again. 
   7. Repeat Step F a few more times, decreasing the diameter about an inch every time. Make sure to measure and record the mass and diameter after each trial. 
   8. Finally, compact the aluminum ball as tight as you can and measure the diameter and mass one more time. 
   9. Look back at your measurements; you should see that even though the ball of aluminum got smaller and smaller after every trial, the mass stayed the same.
      1. This represents how a star collapses, becoming denser until finally turning into a black hole due to its high density and gravitational force. ​

​Quizizz Link: https://quizizz.com/join/quiz/5f077808fd468b001bebe8e8/start?studentShare=true
​

Suggested Videos: 
​Crash Course Astronomy Video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qZWPBKULkdQ                 
​Experiment Video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pcOxhdu5gh8

Published 7.11.2020

Author: Rupali Venkatesan