Why do Raindrops Sometimes Land Gently and Sometimes Land with a Splat?
Source Institutions
-
Colorado State University
Add to listGo to activity
In this activity, learners examine raindrop bottles (prepared ahead of time) to observe in slow motion the behavior of falling droplets and explore concepts such as drag and terminal velocity. As learners examine the drops in the bottle, they will discover that raindrops fall at very different rates depending on their size.
- 10 to 30 minutes
- 5 to 10 minutes
- 1 cent - $1 per student
- Ages 8 - 14
- Activity, Lesson/Lesson Plan, Model
- English
Quick Guide
Materials List (per student)
- 1 clear square sided plastic bottle with lid (We’ve sometimes used empty Fiji water bottles.)
- Mineral oil
- Water
- Food coloring
- Paper towels
- Epoxy or hot glue (optional)
- Tape (optional)
Subjects
- Earth and Space Science
- Earth Processes
- Weather and Climate
- Earth Processes
- Mathematics
- Measurement
- Rate
- Measurement
- Physical Sciences
- Motion and Forces
- Momentum and Velocity
- Motion and Forces
- The Nature of Science
- The Scientific Process
- Conducting Investigations
- Formulating Explanations
- The Scientific Process
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:
Rights:
- All Rights Reserved, Little Shop of Physics, ©2009
