WATER MAGIC - WATER EXPERIMENTS FOR KIDS

Watermagic

Experiment #7 - Mini Water Cycle

The purpose of this activity is for kids to discover how water is cleaned using a mini water cycle.

Materials:
16 oz. clear plastic cup, 3 drops of food coloring, 8 oz. warm water, ice cube, 8" square of clear plastic wrap, rubber band, paper towel

  1. Place the cup on the paper towel. Put the food coloring in the cup and add the warm water.
  2. Stretch the plastic tightly over the cup and secure with a rubber band.
  3. Place the ice cube on top of the plastic wrap. Ask the kids what they think will happen when warm vapor from the colored water hits the cooler plastic above it (it will condense/form drops). What color will the drops be? (clear) Why? (As water evaporates, the food coloring is left behind.)

The kids have just seen how water is cleaned through the water cycle!

Experiment #8 - Alarming Aquifer

In this activity, kids will learn the parts of an aquifer. An aquifer is a layer of rock, sand, or gravel beneath the earth's surface that contains water.

Materials:
clear plastic 1-liter bottle with spout and first 1/2" cut off, sand topsoil, two transparent straws, washed pea gravel, water

  1. Put the gravel on the bottom of the plastic bottle to a depth of 2 inches.
  2. Position two straws upright in the gravel layer. While holding the straws, pour 3 inches of sand on top of the gravel.
  3. Add 1 to 2 inches of topsoil on top of the sand.
  4. Slowly add water to saturate the sand and gravel. This water becomes the groundwater. Note the water's movement through the sand and gravel.
  5. Suck the top end of one of the straws. Pinch the opening of the straw closed. Observe the effect of the pumping action on the aquifer. (The effect is similar to the effect of the pumping action of a well.)
  6. Suck on the second straw and repeat the process. Note the effect on the level of the groundwater.
  7. Suck on the straws several times and observe any changes in the groundwater model.

Experiment #9 - Ice Cube Lifting

The objective of this activity is to learn how salt lowers the freezing point of water.

Materials:
glass of water filled, 6" long piece of string, three ice cubes, spoon, salt, 3 tbsp each salt, sugar, and pepper.

  1. Place one ice cube into the glass of water.
  2. Lay one end of the string over the top surface of the ice cube.
  3. Sprinkle sugar onto that end of the string and the area around it.
  4. Wait 1 minute. Try to lift the ice cube out of the water with the string.
  5. Take the ice cube out of the glass using a spoon. Put another ice cube into the glass. Put one end of the string on top of the ice cube. Sprinkle pepper onto that end of the string and the area around it. Wait 1 minute. Try to lift the ice cube out of the water with the string.
  6. Take the ice cube out of the glass. Put the last ice cube into the glass. Put one end of the string on top of the ice cube. Sprinkle salt onto that end of the string and the area around it. Wait 1 minute. Try to lift the ice cube out of the water with the string.

How does it work? Only the salt lowers the freezing point, causing the ice to melt. As the ice melts, enough heat leaves the ice cube to freeze the string onto the cube. That is why salt (not sugar or pepper) is sprinkled onto icy roads.