The Amazing Water Trick

Add to list Go to activity
Activity link broken? See if it's at the internet archive
Using two baby food jars, food coloring, and an index card, you'll 'marry' the jars to see how hot water and cold water mix. Besides illuminating the cool fact that an index card can act as a lid (with no water gushing out), this activity also teaches about the differing densities of hot and cold water.

Quick Guide

Preparation Time:
Under 5 minutes
Learning Time:
5 to 10 minutes
Estimated Materials Cost:
$1 - $5 per group of students
Age Range:
Ages 6 - 11
Resource Types:
Activity, Experiment/Lab Activity
Language:
English

Materials List (per group of students)

  • Two identical small, wide-mouthed jars (baby food jars are perfect)
  • Hot water
  • Cold water
  • Food coloring
  • Index cards or squares of waxed paper
  • Scissors
  • A large, shallow baking pan (if you don't have one, do this activity in the sink--it can be messy)

Keywords

Subjects

  • Physical Sciences
    • Heat and Thermodynamics
      • Heat and Temperature
    • States of Matter
      • Liquids
    • Structure and Properties of Matter
      • Volume and Density

Audience

To use this activity, learners need to:

  • see
  • touch

Learning styles supported:

  • Involves hands-on or lab activities

Other

This resource is part of:

Access Rights:

  • Free access

By:

  • Murphy, Pat ; Klages, Ellen ; Shore, Linda

Rights:

  • All rights reserved, The Exploratorium, 1998