Water Experiments: h2Oh!

Our fifth graders enjoyed doing some fun experiments at home involving water. How many drops of water will fit on a penny? Surely not that many; pennies are so small! However, our students were pleased to discover that over 100 drops of water can collect on the surface of a penny. Due to cohesion, the attraction of like molecules to one another, and the surface tension of the penny, the hydrogen atoms of the water molecules bond together and stay on the penny’s surface. Once the water reaches the edge of the coin, a little dome of water forms on top.. The bubble shape is a result of the water molecules clinging to one another. So fun!

The second experiment was a challenge to see if a paper clip would float on water. After some trial and error, students figured out that the surface tension of the water, with no help from other materials or substances in the water, was enough to make the paper clip float! Our students have enjoyed conducting science experiments at home and sharing them on the SeeSaw app.