Activity Overview
This is a quick and easy science experiment that you can perform at home with supplies that you use everyday. Budding scientists will explore the fascinating phenomenons of surface tension and air pressure. In this experiment, the air that you blow through the straw will overcome the surface tension of the water and forces the air between the two
Materials Needed
- 2 Identical Drinking Glasses
- A dishpan or pyrex dish
- A straw
How to Do It
- Fill your sink with several inches of water.
- Dip both glasses into the water simultaneously with the tops of the glasses facing each other.
- When you are certain that both glasses are completely filled with water, press both of the glass rims firmly together.
- Carefully turn the glasses so that one is on top of the other, without separating the connected rims.
- Place the standing connected glasses so that they are standing in a shallow pan or dish pan.
- With great care, gently slide the top glass only slightly so that the rims no longer perfectly meet. The water will stay in place inside of the glasses because of surface tension.
- Aim the straw at the gap that you just made between the glass rims.
- Blow through the straw gently and then blow a bit harder.
- The air that you blow will form air bubbles in the water which will rise to the top of the glass causing a steady stream of water to pour out of the side of the bottom glass eventually emptying the top glass.
