How does a straw work?
When you sip, you make less air inside the straw.
Pip’s answer
- When you sip, you make less air inside the straw.
- Air outside pushes down on your drink all the time.
- That push squeezes the drink up the straw and into your mouth. Slurp!
- Ooh, the air all around us is helping you drink!
For grown-ups
When you suck on a straw, you lower the air pressure inside it. The normal air pressure pushing down on the drink's surface is now greater than the pressure in the straw, so it pushes the liquid up the straw into your mouth.
Ask your child: Why doesn't a straw work if it has a hole in the side?
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