Traveling Through Different Liquids

Add to list Go to activity
Activity link broken? See if it's at the internet archive
Learners observe and record what happens when they manipulate bottles containing a liquid (water or corn syrup) and one or more objects (screw, nail, paper clip). They should observe differences in how quickly the objects fall in the different liquids. This lesson builds on what learners have studied in previous lessons, Exploring Liquids and Exploring How Liquids Behave.

Quick Guide

Preparation Time:
5 to 10 minutes
Learning Time:
30 to 45 minutes
Estimated Materials Cost:
$1 - $5 per group of students
Age Range:
Ages 4 - 8
Resource Types:
Activity, Experiment/Lab Activity, Lesson/Lesson Plan
Language:
English

Materials List (per group of students)

  • 12 identical clear plastic or glass bottles with caps
  • Light Karo (corn) syrup
  • Water
  • 4 identical small screws
  • 4 identical small nails
  • 4 identical paper clips
  • 1 small bowl with water
  • 1 small bowl with Karo syrup

Keywords

Subjects

  • Mathematics
    • Measurement
      • Rate
  • Physical Sciences
    • States of Matter
      • Liquids
  • The Nature of Science
    • The Scientific Process
      • Asking Questions
      • Conducting Investigations
      • Gathering Data

Audience

To use this activity, learners need to:

  • see
  • see color
  • touch

Learning styles supported:

  • Involves hands-on or lab activities

Other

Components that are part of this resource:

This resource is part of:

Access Rights:

  • Free access

By:

  • Janulaw, Sharon

Rights:

  • All rights reserved, The University of California Museum of Paleontology, Berkeley, and The Regents of the University of California, 2010

Funding Source:

  • National Science Foundation, EAR-0624436