Physicists are scientists who study the physical world around us. They learn all about matter, time, space, and energy! Try this experiment today to learn about physical properties and interactions!
Materials:
Dry erase markers, ceramic plate or baking dish, and water.
Time Estimated:
10-15 minutes
Directions:
Lay down a towel to protect your work surface, then place your plate or baking dish on top of it.
Draw anything you’d like directly onto the plate or baking dish. You can do shapes, animals, figures, letters– be creative! What if you write a compliment for yourself? Or your parent or friend?
Pour water carefully into the dish. You want to do this slowly and close to the edges of your drawings.
Your drawing should start to lift off the plate and float around! Try this experiment with different colors, plates, water temperatures, etc. to see what works best!
Think Like A Scientist:
Why did we need to use a ceramic plate? Why wouldn’t this experiment work with a paper plate?
Which color marker seemed to work the best? Why do you think this is?
What do you think would have happened if we used a permanent marker instead of a dry erase marker? Let us know in the comments below!
How It Works:
In this experiment, you brought your drawings to life using the physical properties of ink and water!
Dry erase markers, unlike permanent markers, contain ink that isn’t very adhesive. Adhesion is when two different things stick together! In this case, we’re talking about the ink sticking to the plate. Like you saw, the ink did not do a very good job of sticking to the plate– this also explains why it’s so easy to wipe dry erase markers off of the whiteboards in school!
So, what happened when we added water?
The ink in dry erase markers is insoluble in water. This means that the ink doesn’t dissolve in water, which explains why your drawing didn’t get washed away! But how did it float? This happened because the ink is less dense than the water, meaning that the molecules in the ink are not as tightly packed as the molecules in the water. When an object is less dense than water, it becomes buoyant and floats on the surface! When an object is denser than water, it will sink! What else can you think of that floats or sinks?
What did you think of this experiment? Let us know in the comments below!
Looking for more fun at home STEM activities for your young scientist? Check out our workbook full of exciting science experiments and empowering activities!
