Read the passage about a science experiment that Bill conducted: “Bill grabbed an unfilled water bottle and capped it securely. Subsequently, he immersed the water bottle into a pot of boiling water. After a span of 5 minutes, Bill extracted the bottle from the heat and promptly transferred it into a bath of cold water.” Which of the following best explains what Bill observed?

Question

A. The water bottle crumpled as a result of the volume shrinking with the decrease in temperature.
B. The water bottle expanded as a consequence of the volume diminishing with the decrease in temperature.
C. The water bottle crumpled due to an expansion in volume as the temperature declined.
D. The water bottle enlarged due to a rise in volume as the temperature decreased.

Answer 1

The best explanation for what Bill observed is:

A. The water bottle crumpled as a result of the volume shrinking with the decrease in temperature.

When Bill placed the sealed water bottle in boiling water, the air inside the bottle was heated, causing it to expand. When he transferred the bottle to cold water, the temperature of the air inside the bottle quickly decreased, leading to a drop in pressure and causing the bottle to crumple.