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Mix some ordinary things from around the house to cool off with Kid Scoop News for extraordinary fun!
…and plenty of towels!
Fill the cup with water until the water is nearly to the brim. Start adding small pebbles or pennies to the cup. How many do you think you can add before the water spills from the cup? You will add lots of pebbles or pennies. The water actually rises What Happens:
Water is made up of small particles called molecules that are too small to see. Water molecules are strongly attracted to each other. This explains why water “sticks” together.
The water molecules below the surface pull more strongly than the air molecules above the water, and this keeps the water molecules on the surface from flowing over. As more objects are added to the cup of water, the surface stretches as if it’s made of elastic. When too many
above the rim of the cup and stays there! Surface tension holds the water together. Standards Link: Science: Conduct a simple investigation and analyze results to develop a logical conclusion.
objects are added, the pressure to pull the water molecules down becomes too great and the surface bursts, spilling water everywhere. Standards Link: Physical Science: All matter is made up of very small particles called atoms. Atoms combine to form molecules. Atoms exist in solids, liquids and gas.
Rest two pencils on a table (or the side of your bathtub), about 3 inches apart. Stretch a strip of wide, clear tape between them. Using your eyedropper, put a drop of water on the tape. Surface tension holds
Draw a line from each square to where it appears in the picture.
the drop together and the force of gravity flattens it against the tape to make a lens .
Slide a small object, such as a postage stamp or a picture from the newspaper, under your waterdrop lens. What happens? Standards Link: Physical Science: Understand the unique properties of water.
Ever noticed little beads of water on the sink after you’ve brushed your teeth? That’s surface tension at work.
© Vicki Whiting June 2025
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