Sea Level Rise

Examine changes in the volume of a flask of water.

1. Discuss what happens to the volume of water when it is heated compared water at room temperature.

2. Completely fill a conical flask with very cold water. (For increased visibility, add dye to the water.)

3. Place the cork in the stopper.

4. Slide the thermometer and glass tube into the holes in the cork (see figure). The water level should rise a short way into the tube.

5. Record both the temperature of the water and the water level in the glass tube.

6. Predict what will happen when heat is applied to the flask.

7. Place the flask over the lamp (see figure).

8. Turn on the lamp and record the measurements on graph paper every two minutes.

9. Discuss why the level of water in the flask changed. What does this experiment suggest might occur if the oceans warm? Where would you expect the increase in sea level to be the highest? Would you expect thermal expansion to be enough to cause coastal flooding?