Water Science Experiment: Brownian MotionThis water science experiment demonstrates the degree of motion of water molecules at different temperatures. The materials needed are present in most homes or at most will cost a dollar or two to purchase and very little time to set up. Materials Needed: You will need the following: * three clear drinking glasses Procedure: The three drinking glasses each must contain water at different temperatures. One needs to be cold, the second room temperature (straight from the tap) and the third needs to be very hot.
Place all three glasses of water next to each other on a bench. Wait until the water in all three glasses appears still. Then, as quickly as possible, ass two drops of the food dye to each glass. For the best effect, the dye should be added to the cold glass first, then the room temperature glass and last to the hot water glass. It is also best to add the food dye with minimal splashing so that the food dye entering the water is a minimal source of disturbance. That said, it is best for your child to add the food dye herself as this increases her involvement and will make the results far more interesting. What is Happening? The food dye in the hot water glass spreads out very quickly, in a matter of seconds. The dye in the room temperature glass takes much longer, and the dye in the cold water glass hardly moves at all. This shows that adding heat to water increases the speed of the water molecules. This water science experiment allows your child to discover one of the basic principles of chemistry, that heating up a substance increases the speed of the particles in that substance.
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