Once you've seen steam rising from the top of the can for at least a few seconds, grab the can with the metal barbecue tongs. In one smooth motion, carefully turn the can over and submerge it head first into the bowl of cold water. It should instantly implode and crush itself with a loud crunch sound. Go ahead and repeat the steps a few more times, I know you want to thoroughly test this experiment to collect "data" like a good little scientist.

Why did the can crush all by itself? The answer is because the air pressure outside the can was much higher than inside since all the air was pushed out by steam. When you dunked the can full of boiling water inside the bucket of freezing water, the hot water vapor inside immediately condensed leaving a void. The cold water in the bowl could not fill this void quickly enough to equalize the pressure thus causing the can to be crushed by the pressure of the Earth's atmosphere.

Hey kids, want to try another fun science experiment? Check out my Mentos & Coca-Cola Volcano page. Have fun!