Science Experiments: Water Molecule Attraction

Matter is made of tiny particles that are attracted to one another.

We did a series of experiments activities from Middle School Chemistry (the free, downloadable chemistry course) that show that water molecules are, indeed attracted to one another.

We first used a medicine dropper to see how much water we could push out of the syringe. We also examined the pictures of the droplets we managed to photograph in the air. We observed the shape of the droplets and talked about why the water drop was round (rather than in a thin stream or bursting out in all directions).

We then put a few drops of water on wax paper and tried moving it around with a Popsicle stick, tried separating it and watched what happened when two droplets were brought in close proximity to one another.

We did the activity, Water Drops Unite!, using the sheet provided in Middle School Chemistry. The kids had a race to see who could unite the water droplets the fastest.

The kids also had fun with the Race Drop Raceway.

The kids were amazed at the water balloon video that showed frame-by-frame how even after a balloon is popped, the water molecules stay together and keep the shape of the balloon. We must have watched that video four or five times!!

From here we went on to build our own water molecules (and others). More on that in another post soon.

You might also be interested in these posts from our chemistry unit:

• The Size of Atoms
• States of Matter: Solid, Liquid, Gas Activities
• Molecule Movement Activity – Chemistry Review Worksheet

• Water Molecule Attraction
• Red Cabbage – Acid Base Indicator Activity

• Building Molecules: Chemistry Activity