A Bullfrogs view of...

Our Local Watershed and Water Education for Young Minds...

Brentwood Elementary VESD Mrs. Bishop's Class
  


   
   

 

 

 

Experiments with Water ...

 experiments

Properties of Water

This can be set up in the classroom as a series of stations for groups of two to four students to circulate around. Stations can be done in any order. Allow time for exploration. Exploration provides the inquiry time necessary for students to make their own peripheral discoveries.

 

Water Cycle Terrarium

Materials: 2 liter bottle with label removed, small rocks, dirt, plant, water

  1. Cut the top third off of the bottle.
  2. Fill bottom with rocks, dirt, then a plant.
  3. Lightly water Replace top of bottle.

What happened? The moisture in the dirt forms as droplets on the top of the bottle and then drop back down to water the plant.

Drops on a Penny

Materials: penny, eye dropper and water
  1. Place the penny on the table.
  2. Use the eyedropper to drop water onto the penny.
  3. Count the drops.

What happened? Surface tension is an effect within the surface layer of a liquid that causes it to behave as an elastic sheet. The water molecules pull together so the drops don't fall.

More Surface Tension

Materials: small bowl, cup of non-fat milk, food coloring, tsp of detergent

  1. Pour milk into bowl.
  2. Add food coloring to center of bowl.
  3. Finally add detergent to outside of bowl.

What happened? The detergent weakens the surface tension and draws the food coloring to the outside of the bowl.

Suspension or Solution?

Materials: 5 see through plastic cups 3/4 full of water, teaspoon, salt, sugar, flour, baking soda and dirt

  1. Add one substance to each cup of water
  2. Stir

What happened? If the water remains clear you made a solution, if the water is cloudy a suspension. Water is the often referred to as the universal solvent. A solvent is a liquid that dissolves a solid, liquid or gas and becomes a solution.

Glue from Water?

Materials: Smooth surface, squirt bottle of water, metal pan

  1. Squirt water on surface
  2. Place pan on surface
  3. Try to pull up

What happened? Adhesion is created, making the two surfaces attracted to each other.

Non-Newtonian Fluid

Materials: 1 cup water, 1 1/4 cups corn starch, spoon, plastic bowl, wooden stick, coffee grounds

  1. Add water to bowl
  2. Slowly pour in corn starch, stirring with stick
  3. Top with coffee grounds.
  4. Make fist, tap top of mixture with your fist
  5. Next stick finger into mixture

What happened? Mixture acts like a solid with fist, liquid with finger. Simply, it does not follow the normal laws of physics.