Properties of Water Activity
Station #1:
1.
2.
3.
4.
Can you fill the beaker up from far away?
Fill one of the beakers half full with water.
Remove the string from the beaker of water. Have one person hold
one end of the string over the empty third beaker. The other
person should stretch the string taught at approximately a 30º angle
and carefully/slowly pour the water down the string. Continue
until the beaker is completely empty!
Return the string to the beaker of water and wipe up any spills.
EXPLAIN how this amazing feat was possible based on the
properties of water.
Properties of Water Activity
Station #2:
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
6.
Will it overflow?
Place the container on a paper towel. COMPLETELY fill the
container provided with water (all the way to the top without it
spilling over.)
Predict how many paperclips you can carefully add (one at a time)
to the container without the water spilling over. Record prediction.
Gently add one paper clip at a time. Check for water spillage after
each paper clip is added. Keep going until the water does spill.
Record final number of paper clips added. Also record what you
noticed to the water level (above the beaker) as you were adding
the paperclips.
Clean up. Return all supplies and wipe up any spills.
EXPLAIN how this phenomenon was possible based upon the
properties of water.
Properties of Water Activity
Station #3:
How many drops of water can a penny hold?
1. Place the penny on the lab table heads side up.
2. Predict how many drops of water you can place on the top surface of
the penny without the water spilling over. Record prediction.
3. Using the pipette, add one drop of water to the top surface of the
penny. Counting to do so until the water spills over the edge.
4. Record the final number of drops you added. Be sure to also record
what you noticed about the level of water before the water spills over
the edge.
5. Clean up! Wipe up all spills and refill water container if necessary.
6. EXPLAIN how this phenomenon was possible based upon the
properties of water.
Properties of Water Activity
Station #4a: Will it float?
1.
2.
3.
4.
Fill the container provided with water.
Carefully place the basket onto the surface of the water. Record
your results.
Clean up! DRY THE BASKET!!
EXPLAIN your results based on the properties of water.
Properties of Water Activity
Station #4b: Will it stay afloat?
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
Fill the container provided with water.
Carefully place the basket onto the surface of the water. It should
float.
Carefully add a drop of soap to the water. Record your results.
Clean UP! Wash all materials. Be sure that all SOAP RESIDUE
is washed off!!
EXPLAIN why the basket behaved as it did after the soap was
added based upon the properties of water.
Properties of Water Activity
Station #5:
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
6.
Which will POP first?
Measure 50mL of water and oil and place in separate beakers.
Add a poultry pop-timer into each beaker.
Predict which substance will heat up faster and cause the timer to
pop first. Record prediction.
Place both beakers on the hot plate until one of the timers pops.
Carefully remove both beakers and measure the temperature of
both the oil and water. Record results.
Clean up! Wash and dry everything. Throw away the popper that
has popped and leave the remaining popper for the next group.
EXPLAIN results based upon the properties of water.
Properties of Water Activity Teacher Instructions
Standard:
*1a – Students know cells are enclosed within semipermeable membranes that regulate their interaction with their
surroundings.
(*Note: There is no actual standard on the properties of water, but we felt students needed an understanding of the
chemical nature and properties of water in order to understand other biological concepts. This is the closest standard we
could find – the framework discusses osmosis and osmotic conditions in this standard.)
Duration: 1 class period (55 minutes)
Objective: Students will explore and demonstrate their understanding of the properties of water by performing various
activities
Teacher Notes:
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There are 5 possible stations you could use. Ideally students could accomplish 1-3 stations in a typical 55 minute
class period. The number may vary depending on which stations you pick. You could increase the number of
stations to complete IF students do the EXPLANATION of what happened as homework.
Stations #2 and #3 are essentially the same concept so pick one or the other.
Stations #4a and #4b should be combined. Just be sure that students write up each one separately.
Although station #5 takes a bit longer than the other stations, I like including it because it is the only station that
displays the higher specific heat of water.
Station # and Title:
#1 – Can you fill the
beaker up from far away?
Materials Need per Group:
3 beakers
COTTON string (cut to about a foot)
#2 – Will it overflow?
Small beaker (100ml)
Box of LARGE paperclips
Water bottle
#3 – How many drops can
a penny hold?
Beaker with water (supply)
Pipette (or eye dropper)
penny
#4a – Will it float?
Shallow dish to hold a pool of water (like a pie tin)
Strawberry basket
Notes/Explanation:
String needs to be COTTON and should
be wet before they try this (hence I keep
the string in a beaker of water at the
station.)
Students should get a continuous flow of
water down the string with minimal
spillage.
PROPERTIES DISPLAYED: cohesion
and adhesion
Students should slip the paper clips into
the beaker – I usually demo this procedure
for them. There should be an obvious
“bubble” of water above the lip of the
beaker that they should observe.
PROPERTIES DISPLAYED: cohesion,
adhesion, and surface tension
Students should add equally sized drops of
water – SLOWLY and ONE AT A TIME.
There should be an obvious “bubble” of
water on the surface of the penny that they
should observe.
PROPERTIES DISPLAYED: cohesion,
adhesion, and surface tension
These are the green baskets you get when
you buy a bunch of strawberries. Get as
many as you can stand to eat!
The basket should be DRY when it is
GENTLY placed on the water. I usually
#4b – Will it stay afloat?
(same as above)
Soap
#5 – Which will POP
faster?
2 100ml beakers (graduated)
2 Turkey popper
Cooking oil
Water
Hot plate
Hot hands
2 thermometers
have a couple of baskets to replace those
that either don’t float well and/or don’t dry
between groups.
PROPERTIES DISPLAYED: cohesion,
adhesion, and surface tension
I’ve found liquid soap works the best.
Students should add the soap to the water
AWAY FROM THE BASKET.
Observant students should notice that
when the soap is initially added, the basket
moves away from the soap and then sinks.
Students need to REMOVE ALL SOAP
RESIDUE in order for this to work for the
next lab group.
PROPERTIES DISPLAYED: cohesion,
adhesion, and surface tension
The turkey poppers can be found at any
grocery store and usually come in packs of
two. The popper in the water should not
pop and thus can be reused for the next
group (although you should have extras
just in case.)
PROPERTIES DISPLAYED: cohesion,
adhesion, and specific heat