How can you measure the amount of air in a football?

Answer 1

An accurate way to measure the air in a football is to measure the air pressure in the football. Then, using Boyle's Law, P(1) x V(1) = P(2) x V(2), you can compute the volume of air, at standard pressure. This will give you a quite accurate answer, since temperature really doesn't change things here. Note that, according to Boyle's Law, the higher the pressure in the football, the more air there is inside. This coincides with what you'd expect.

Answer 2

If you mean the volume of the whole thing, then why not use Archimedes' method? Fill up a bucket of water bigger than the football right up to the brim, then stand it in a larger tray. Then push the football under the surface until it is only just submerged and has pushed all the water out it wants to. Collect the water which should now be in the second tray, and measure its capacity. You can measure it in millilitres and convert to cubic centimetres with 1 ml = 1 cm3.

Alternatively, if you mean the volume the ball contains in air, i suppose you could deflate the football, and then do the same thing again, subtracting this volume (which will just be the skin) from the original estimate. But the two answers are likely to be very close anyway. Hope this helps ;)

From Dr Octavian.

Answer 3

Depends what size of football...