Inverted Bottles

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In this activity, learners investigate convection by using food coloring and water of different temperatures. Through this experiment, learners discover the effect of gravity, density, and temperature on fluids and the phenomenon that "hot things rise and cold things sink," which is an important part of the weather cycle, water currents, etc.

Quick Guide

Preparation Time:
Under 5 minutes
Learning Time:
45 to 60 minutes
Estimated Materials Cost:
1 cent - $1 per group of students
Age Range:
Ages 11 - 18
Resource Types:
Activity, Experiment/Lab Activity
Language:
English

Materials List (per group of students)

  • 4 identical wide mouth glass bottles
  • 3x5 cards (card stock)
  • Food Coloring – two colors
  • A source of hot and cold water
  • 2 catchments - like a plastic plate or aluminum pie pan

Keywords

Subjects

  • Earth and Space Science
    • Earth Processes
      • Weather and Climate
    • Earth Structure
  • Physical Sciences
    • Heat and Thermodynamics
      • Heat and Temperature
    • Motion and Forces
      • Gravity
    • States of Matter
      • Liquids
    • Structure and Properties of Matter
      • Atomic Structure
      • Mass and Weight
      • Volume and Density
  • The Nature of Science
    • The Scientific Process
      • Conducting Investigations

Audience

To use this activity, learners need to:

  • see
  • see color
  • touch

Learning styles supported:

  • Involves hands-on or lab activities

Other

This resource is part of:

Access Rights:

  • Free access

By:

  • Muller, Eric

Rights:

  • All rights reserved, Do Science, 2005