This post contains Amazon affiliate links, which means that I earn from qualifying purchases at no extra cost to you. In this experiment, we ’ ll compare the surface tension of water with the surface tension of saponaceous water. Soap greatly decreases surface tension !
The procedure for this experiment is childlike. Use a dropper/pipette to drop water onto a penny. Carefully count the drops as you go. These formative pipettes work well. We like having them on hired hand for all kinds of activities.
It ’ randomness precisely amazing to watch the drops of water voltaic pile up on the penny ! We tried this respective times, and we were able to get 23-27 drops on the penny each meter before the water ran off the slope.
then we compared the open tension of knit body of water with buttery water. Would we be able to get the same number of drops of saponaceous water onto the penny ?
Nope. merely 12-15. We could only get about half as many drops of buttery water on the penny before the water ran off over the side. The Science Behind the Penny Drops Experiment The way water creates a round open is called surface tension. Surface tension is what allows you to fill a glass all the way to the top… and then some ! It ’ sulfur what gives the water system the domed look on the penny. Water has strong surface tension because of its polarity. Water molecules are polar, meaning that one goal of each molecule has a positive care while the early end has a negative charge. Because of these opposite charges, body of water molecules are attracted to each other. They form hydrogen bonds with each other. If you ’ re working with young kids, you can tell them that it ’ s like the urine molecules are holding hands with each other and they don ’ thyroxine want to let go ! This is what is happening on top of the penny.
soap decreases the open tension of water by pushing apart the water system molecules. Each soap molecule has an end that is attracted to water and an end that repels body of water. The hydrophobic ends of the soap molecules ( the ends that don ’ metric ton want to be approximate urine ) squeeze their way between water the molecules as they work their way to the airfoil. You can read more about soap and its effect on surface tension here. Need more simple science ideas? We have tons of educational and engaging science experiments! See more than 25 cool Science Experiments here.
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