HOW
HOW
DOES
DOES
IT WORK?
IT WORK?
Water
Water
molecules
molecules
likelike
each
each
other
other
more
more
thanthan
theythey
likelike
air, air,
so the
so the
molecules
molecules
on on
the the
surface
surface
bond
bond
more
more
tightly
tightly
to their
to their
neighbors.
neighbors.
ThisThis
creates
creates
surface
surface
tension,
tension,
which
which
helps
helps
raindrops
raindrops
staystay
together
together
andand
allows
allows
us to
usfill
tocups
fill cups
above
above
the the
brim,
brim,
or make
or make
a dome
a dome
of water
of water
on aoncoin.
a coin.
Question:
Question:
ButBut
Why
Why
do do
water
water
molecules
molecules
want
want
to be
to be
by by
each
each
other?
other?
HowHow
many
many
drops
drops
of water
of water
can can
you you
fit on
fitaon a
coin coin
before
before
the the
water
water
spillsspills
off off
the side?
the side?
That’sThat’s
so cool
so cool
that that
part part
of Water
of Water
is positive
is positive
and and
the other
the other
half half
has ahas a
negative
negative
charge.
charge.
There’s
There’s
got to
gotbetoa word
be a word
for it…
for it…
I wonder
I wonder
whatwhat
it is?it is?
It’s It’s
called
called
Polarity!
Polarity!
Answer:
Answer:
Water
on the
onsurface:
the surface:
Water
Water
in theinmiddle:
the middle:Water
UNBALANCED
UNBALANCED
FORCES.
FORCES.
BALANCED
BALANCED
FORCES.
FORCES.
10
10
11
A lot!
A The
lot! The
molecules
molecules
on the
on surface
the surface
pull pull
in, in,
creating
creating
a dome
a dome
of water
of water
on the
on coin.
the coin.
Wow!
Wow!
12
9
11
12
9
Let’s talk about BIG numbers
Name
How many zeros
6 (1,000,000)
9 (1,000,000,000)
12
15
18
21
24
100
Million
Billion
Trillion
Quadrillion
Quintillion
Sextillion
Septillion
Googol
Because
Because
opposites
opposites
attract!
attract!
Positive
Positive
loves
loves
negative.
negative.
Each
Each
water
water
molecule
molecule
is part
is part
positive
positive
( + )( and
+ ) and
partpart
negative
negative
( - ).( -Hydrogen
). Hydrogen
bonds
bonds
( )( )
form
form
between
between
the the
positive
positive
andand
negative
negative
sides.
sides.
13
8
THE THE
SURFACE
SURFACE
TENSION
TENSION
OF WATER
OF WATER
IS ONLY
IS ONLY
72 DYNES
72 DYNES
PER PER
CENTIMETER!
CENTIMETER!
Reality:
Reality:
IF IT IF
WORKS
IT WORKS
WITHWITH
A PAPERCLIP,
A PAPERCLIP,
HOWHOW
ABOUT
ABOUT
SOMETHING
SOMETHING
BIGGER,
BIGGER,
LIKELIKE
A FLOATING
A FLOATING
COUCH!
COUCH!
Idea:
Idea:
Paper
• Paper
clip clip
Tissue
• Tissue
paper
paper
or paper
or paper
towel
towel
Cup
• Cup
or bowl
or bowl
Water
• Water
13
MORE
MORE
COOL
COOL
SCIENCE
SCIENCE
WORDS
WORDS
14
14
Materials:
Materials:
1. 1.
Pepper
Pepper
Scatter
Scatter
How long to count that high*
Materials:
Materials:
11 days
31 years
31,704 years
31 million years
31 billion years
31 trillion years
317 trillion centuries
Don’t be ridiculous!
•
•
•
•
huh?
Bowl
• Bowl
or plate
or plate
Ground
• Ground
black
black
pepper
pepper
Concentrated
• Concentrated
dishdish
soap
soap
Water
• Water
Method:
Method:
a) Place
a) Place
water
water
in bowl
in bowl
andand
sprinkle
sprinkle
withwith
pepper.
pepper.
b) Add
b) Add
a touch
a touch
of soap
of soap
to the
to the
surface
surface
of the
of the
water.
water.
c) Watch
c) Watch
the the
pepper
pepper
scatter!
scatter!
A googol is bigger than the number
of PARTICLES in the UNIVERSE.
Googol? Isn’t that the
name of an internet
search engine?
8
a) Fill
a) the
Fill the
cupcup
withwith
water
water
andand
gently
gently
place
place
a piece
a piece
of tissue
of tissue
paper
paper
on the
on the
surface.
surface.
b) Carefully
b) Carefully
place
place
a dry
a dry
paperclip
paperclip
on the
on the
tissue.
tissue.
c) The
c) The
tissue
tissue
should
should
sink.sink.
If it If it
doesn’t,
doesn’t,
givegive
it a gentle
it a gentle
push
push
downward.
downward.
Method:
Method:
•
•
•
•
Materials:
Materials:
That’s Google.
7
It’s like
It’s magic!!
like magic!!
Do itDo
again!
it again!
A small
• A small
pin or
pinneedle
or needle
Bowl
• Bowl
or cup
or cup
Concentrated
• Concentrated
dishdish
soap
soap
Water
• Water
4. 4.
Floating
Floating
Paperclip
Paperclip
That’s what I said.
7
Tip:Tip:
be sure
be sure
thatthat
the the
cup cup
andand
water
water
are are
not not
soapy.
soapy.
a) Fill
a) bowl
Fill bowl
or cup
or cup
withwith
water
water
andand
carefully
carefully
place
place
pin on
pin on
surface.
surface.
Hint:Hint:
tweezers
tweezers
maymay
help.
help.
TheThe
pin must
pin must
be flat
be with
flat with
the the
surface
surface
of the
of the
water.
water.
It will
It will
sinksink
if it comes
if it comes
in atinan
atangle.
an angle.
b) Add
b) Add
a touch
a touch
of soap.
of soap.
c) Watch
c) Watch
the the
pin sink!
pin sink!
A touch
A touch
of soap
of soap
at at
the edge
the edge
disrupts
disrupts
the surface
the surface
tension,
tension,
and and
a second
a second
laterlater
the pin
the sinks!
pin sinks!
Method:
Method:
•
•
•
•
3. 3.
Floating
Floating
PinPin
Just Google
googol and you’ll
figure it out!
No, you said Googol.
2. 2.
Soap
Soap
Boat
Boat
GET GET
A SQUARE
A SQUARE
OF PAPER,
OF PAPER,
PREFERABLY
PREFERABLY
CARDSTOCK.
CARDSTOCK.
CUT CUT
THE THE
PAPER
PAPER
LIKELIKE
THISTHIS
FORFOR
THE THE
BACK
BACK
OF THE
OF THE
BOAT:
BOAT:
ADDADD
A A
DROP
DROP
OF OF
SOAP
SOAP
HERE.
HERE.
THEN
THEN
FOLD
FOLD
THE THE
FRONT
FRONT
LIKELIKE
THIS:THIS:
THENTHEN
SET THE
SET BOAT
THE BOAT
IN WATER
IN WATER
AND AND
WATCH
WATCH
IT GO!
IT GO!
Yahoo!
Yahoo!
OneOne
touch
touch
of soap,
of soap,
andand
the the
pepper
pepper
shoots
shoots
to the
to the
edges
edges
of the
of the
bowl!
bowl!
*Assuming a rate of counting one number per second. A computer could count at this
speed, a person would need to take much longer.
5
5
6
6
www.jennyballif.com
www.jennyballif.com
available
available
at at
A single drop of water has more than 1,000,000,000,000,000,000,000 water
molecules! That huge number with 21 zeros is called a sextillion, and it is a
TRILLION TIMES BIGGER than one billion.
More
More
FREE
FREE
Science
Science
Mom
Mom
Guides
Guides
The dewdrop is SUPER small compared to the lake. But a water molecule
(the smallest bit of water you can have) is MUCH smaller than a dewdrop.
I wasI hoping
was hoping
for afor
puddle.
a puddle.
Dewdrop
on a piece
of grass
Who Who
knows?
knows?
We We
couldcould
end up
end
in up
a in a
puddle,
puddle,
ground
ground
water,
water,
or a or
river!
a river!
SO WHAT
SO WHAT
HAPPENS
HAPPENS
NOW?NOW?
WHEREWHERE
DOESDOES
ALL THE
ALLWATER
THE WATER
GO GO
AFTERAFTER
it RAINS?
it RAINS?
Crater Lake, Oregon
THE water’s
THE water’s
moving
moving
faster!
faster!
Looks
Looks
like like
we’rewe’re
in a river!
in a river!
Guide
Guide
toto
WATER
WATER
Think of a big lake versus a dewdrop. Pretty big difference in size, right?
B
A
A
X
C
C
D
q
B
s
F
E
E
D
q
F
G
G
X