WILL IT FLOAT OR SINK? Salt Water Experiment Materials You Need 3 clear containers 6 cups of water 9 Tablespoons of table salt Items to float – like an egg, mini soccer ball, golf ball How to do the Experiment Fill each container with 2 cups of water. The first container will not have any salt. Add 3 tablespoons of salt to the second container. Add 6 tablespoons of salt to the third container. Stir the containers well until the salt has completely dissolved into the water. Place your item into the water and observe where the item floats or sinks. Results