Imploding Soda Cans: From Demonstration to Guided-Inquiry Laboratory Activity

A guided-inquiry exercise conducted in both the lecture and laboratory components of a college introductory chemistry course for non-science majors is described. The exercise gave students the opportunity to independently determine the relationship between the temperature of water in an aluminum soda can and the intensity of implosion upon placing the can in ice water. Collaborative group work was used to create hypotheses, design the corresponding experiments, and complete the laboratory data collection; representative results from all three areas are summarized. This exercise effectively integrated activities in the lecture and laboratory, fostered student interest in chemistry, and immersed the students in the process of scientific inquiry.