Name _____________________
Period ______
Lab Properties of Water
Purpose: Discover some of water's unique properties that helps our body survive.
Background: Water is the most essential compound for life. Our body is about 75% water. The atomic
structure of water consists of two hydrogen atoms bonded to one oxygen atom. It looks like a mickey
mouse pattern. The structure causes its molecules to have unique properties compared to other similar
weight molecules. The ears or Hydrogen sides of the molecule have a slightly positive charge due to the
electron rotating part of the time around Oxygen, leaving the positively charged proton exposed. The
Oxygen side has a slightly negative charge due to the electrons spending more time around Oxygen.
This causes water molecules to have polarity and allows it to dissolve substances that are polar, create
surface tension, have a high heat capacity, and it expands when frozen and is less dense than as a liquid.
Materials: Beaker of water, bag of pennies, droppers, shot glass, pepper, liquid soap, wax paper,
capillary tube, paper towels for cleanup.
Pennies #1
1. Question: How many pennies can be put in a glass full of water before water spills over the
edge?
2. Hypothesis: (If...then...)
3. Procedure: Use the beaker of water to fill the shot glass with water to the top. You may use the
dropper to fill it up. Gently add pennies, counting one by one until water trickles over the edge.
4. Repeat two more times, record the numbers, then repeat a third time with a small squirt of soap
before adding the pennies.
5. Rinse out the glassware and dry them.
6. Complete a chart with the numbers and make a bar graph displaying the data.
7. Conclude: Write a complete sentence using numbers and your hypothesis, and if it was
supported or not and why.
8. What property of water allowed you to put pennies in the water.
9. What did the soap do to the water to cause your results?
Pennies #2
10. Question: How many drops of water fit on a penny?
11. Hypothesis: (If...then...)
12. Procedure: Use distilled water, not soapy water. Ensure your penny is dry, using the dropper
each person in the group count the number of drops of water that will fit on the head of a penny
before spilling off. Don't bump the penny.
13. Data: Show each persons data in a chart and make a bar graph to display the data.
Name _____________________
Period ______
14. Conclusion: Find the average of the attempts and state if your hypothesis was supported or not
and why, using numbers.
15. What is the property of water that allows drops to stay on the penny?
Pepper and Soap
16. Question: What will soap do to pepper floating on the water?
17. Hypothesis: (If...then...)
18. Procedure: Put some clean water in a clean petri dish. Ensure all soap is washed out. Sprinkle a
pinch of pepper on the top of the water. Put a small drop of soap on the tip of your finger and
touch the surface of the water.
19. Observations:
20. Conclusion: Why did this happen? (Explain what the soap was doing to the water and pepper.)
Graduated Cylinder
21. Question: What will the top of the water look like in a glass graduated cylinder?
22. Hypothesis: (If...then...)
23. Procedure: Halfway fill a graduated cylinder with water. It's not important the height except it
be under the top measurement. Observe the level of the water.
24. Data: Draw a picture of the top of the water in the glass graduated cylinder.
25. Conclusion: Write a complete sentence, include the difference between the top and bottom of
the water line.
Wax Paper vs Table
26. Question: What will a drop of water look like on wax paper versus the table?
27. Hypothesis: (If...then...)
28. Procedure: Place a drop of water on a piece of wax paper, then place a drop on the table.
29. Data: Draw a picture of your observations
______
_______
Wax Paper
Table
30. What property of water causes it to look this way on the table versus the wax paper?
Capillary Tube
31. Question: What will a drop of water do when touched by a glass capillary tube?
32. Hypothesis:
33. Procedure: Place a drop of water on a wax paper. Only touching the sides of the tube, gently
touch the tip of the tube to the drop of water.
34. Observations:
35. Conclusion: