Water Olympics

Teacher Notes: 1st do the demo. This activity requires preparation! Prepare all lab stations. tape a cutout with directions for each activity on the table (be prepared for it to get wet and need to be replaced as well). Demonstration: Prior to activities below, use a string to make water walk a tightrope. Use yarn and a beaker across the room. Talk about cohesion and adhesion as properties of water.

Activity 1: Pole Vaulting: Over the Top!

Hypothesis: How many pennies do you think youll be able to add before the water spills over? ________ Materials: plastic cup water pennies tray paper towels to clean up Procedure: 1. Put the plastic cup in the tray to catch the water when it spills 2. Fill a clear plastic cup with water until it is even with the rim. (This is very important!!) 3. Add pennies, one at a time. (Be careful not to splash!) 4. Keep track of how many pennies you add. 5. Continue until the water spills over the side. 6. Record your results below. 7. Repeat this procedure until everyone has completed this experiment. Then get the mean of your groups results.

8. Clean up this activity Constants: (Include 4) Results: How many pennies did you add before the water spilled? _______ Team mean? _______

Activity 2: The Balance Beam: A Penny for your Thoughts!

Hypothesis: How many drops of water do you think youll be able to put on a penny (head side faced up)? _____________ Materials: penny eye dropper beaker to hold the water paper towel to wipe up the spills and to dry off the penny to repeat the procedure. Procedure: 1. Place a penny on the table top with the face side up. 2. Using an eye dropper, place as many drops of water on the penny without spilling over the edge. (It is VERY important to have the water droplets to be the same size!) 3. Continue until water spills over. 4. Record your results below. 5. Repeat this procedure until everyone has completed this experiment. Then get the mean of your groups results. 6. Clean up this activity Constants: (Include 4)

Results: _____

How many drops were placed on the head side before the water spilled? Team mean? ________

Was the mean different than your drop? ______ Why do you think this occurred if you did the lab the same way? ______________________________________________________

Activity 3: Sculling: Bubble Power!

Hypothesis: How long will it take for your boat to cross the finish line? ______ seconds Materials: scissors Cardboard/cardstock liquid detergent tray filled with water stop watch paper towels to clean up Procedure: 1. Cut out a boat shape from a piece of cardboard (see pattern below) 2. In the rear of the boat, cut out a small notch.

3. Place a drop of liquid detergent in the notch of the boat. 4. Place the boat in a tray of water. 5. Describe what happens: ____________________________________ 6. What caused the boat to move? (Hint: Place a drop of water on the table. What happens to it when you put a soap chip in it?) _______________________ 7. Design a better shape for the boat so that it will move faster - you may change the shape or amount of soap you use. Try to keep the boat about the same length. 8. Try putting it in the water and compare results with your first boat. 9. Chose the best design and place the boat at one end of the tray (starting line). 10. Start the timer until the boat crosses the finish line (opposite side of the tray.) 11. Repeat the race until all members of your team has raced their boat. 12. Clean up this activity IF THE BOAT DOES NOT MOVE, YOU MAY NEED TO REPLACE THE WATER (2 much soap). Constants: (Include 4) Results: How long did it take for your boat to cross the finish line? _____ Team mean? ________

Quic kTime and a TIFF (Unc ompressed) decompressor are needed to see this pic ture.

Activity 4: Bubble Rings

Hypothesis: How large a bubble can you blow? _______cms Materials: straw table top or paper plate surface bubble solution cm ruler paper towels to clean up

Procedure: 1. Wet table top or paper plate surface 2. Put one end of the straw into the bubble solution - place the straw at an angle. 3. Slowly blow into the bubble solution - you should see a bubble being formed 4. Measure the diameter of the bubble after it pops - do this quickly before it disappears. 5. Repeat until everyone has done this twice. 6. Record your results and find the mean of your groups. 7. Clean up this activity

QuickTime and a TIFF (Uncompressed) decompressor are needed to see this pic ture.

Constants: (Include 4)

Results:

What was your mean of your bubble? ______ Team mean? ________

Was the team mean different than your mean? ______ Why do you think this occurred if you did the lab the same way? _______________________________

Activity 5: Balancing Paper Clips

Hypothesis: How many paper clips can you balance on the surface of water? _____ Materials: plastic fork water paper clips of various sizes cup

Procedure: 1. Fill the cup to the brim with water until it forms a bubble on top. 2. Place a paper clip flat on the edge of the fork tines. 3. Gently place it on the surface of the water. 4. You may need to try this several times. If one falls through, try with another paper

clip. 5. Repeat until you can place no more on top. 6. Record your results and find the mean of your groups. 7. Clean up this activity Question: What property of water makes the paper clip float?

This idea came from Project WET Curriculum and Activity Guide.

Activity 6: The Great Paper Towel Race

Hypothesis: Which brand of paper towel best absorbs water? _____ Materials: container of water At least two different brands of paper towels.

Pencil Tape

Procedure: 1. Make 1 X 8 strips out of the paper towels. 2. Tape one of each brand paper towl strips to a pencil. 3. Hang the pencils over the container at the same time. Make sure that they are both hanging the same distance into the water. 4. After a set amount of time, measure the distance that the water traveled up the paper towl. Question: 1. Which brand of paper towel absorbed water the best? 2. Which property of water helps in absorption (adhesion, cohesion, or surface tension)? 3. What factors were held constant in your experiment?