Fire Piston Demonstration Apparatus

Dramatically Demonstrate that Temperature Increases with Pressure

A piston tipped with three O-rings is pushed into a heavy glass tube to compress the air inside. Cotton at the bottom of a tube will ignite when the pressure in the tube is increased rapidly to show a temperature increase when a fixed mass of gas is compressed. You can demonstrate the need for oxygen to support combustion by showing that re-ignition will only occur if the piston is completely removed to allow a fresh supply of air. The apparatus can also be used to demonstrate cloud formation when the reduction in pressure lowers the temperature and immediately condenses the water vapor inside the cylinder.