Surface Tension Icebreaker

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This is a quick activity (located on page 2 of the PDF under Nasturtium Leaves Activity) about surface tension. Learners will predict how many pennies can be placed in a full glass of water before it overflows. Water has a surprising amount of surface tension and can even support the weight of paper clips and coins as shown in the related, linked video, DragonflyTV Nano: Nasturtium Leaves.

Quick Guide

Preparation Time:
Under 5 minutes
Learning Time:
10 to 30 minutes
Estimated Materials Cost:
free per group of students
Age Range:
Ages 8 - 14
Resource Types:
Activity, Lesson/Lesson Plan
Language:
English

Materials List (per group of students)

  • glass
  • water
  • pennies
  • other coins

Keywords

Subjects

  • Earth and Space Science
    • Earth Structure
      • Oceans and Water
  • Engineering and Technology
    • Engineering
      • Nanotechnology
  • Physical Sciences
    • Chemistry
      • Chemical Bonding
    • States of Matter
      • Liquids
    • Structure and Properties of Matter
  • The Nature of Science
    • The Scientific Process
      • About Inquiry
      • Conducting Investigations

Audience

To use this activity, learners need to:

  • see
  • touch

Learning styles supported:

  • Involves hands-on or lab activities

Other

Components that are part of this resource:

Includes alignment to state and/or national standards:

This resource is part of:

Access Rights:

  • Free access

By:

Source Collection

  • DragonflyTV

Rights:

  • All rights reserved, Twin Cities Public Television, Inc., 2008

Funding Source:

  • National Science Foundation, 741749