Michelle lundy making it as a middle school teacher 2012 1 scientific method coin lab how many drops of water can a coin hold. The water molecules attract each other, pulling together so the water doesnt spill. The experiment show that the acidic water decreases the amount of drops which can fit on a penny before the waters surface tension is broken. This will come at the front of the lab, but should be the last thing written. So i had to do a lab this week where we had to see how much distilled water,deterhent solution, sodium carbonate solution, and sodium chloride solution would fit on the surface of a penny. The experiment show that the acidic water decreases the amount of drops which can fit on a penny before the water s surface tension is broken. The water in space video of the astronaut confirms this claim. Repeat steps 14 four more times, and then calculate the mean average. After 1983, the us mint changed the composition of the penny to be 97. Record the number of drops for that trial in the table. Demonstrating the law of inertia introduction newtons sir isaac newton, english physicist, 16421727 first law of motion states that. Once the water has reached the edge, you begin to see a bubble or dome of water forming on top of the penny. Count the number of drops and keep dropping the water on the penny until it flows over.
In this lesson and its associated activity, students conduct a simple test to determine how many drops of each of three liquids can be placed on a penny before spilling over. The activity builds on the cool science experiment where kids try to add as many drops of water as possible to the surface of a penny. For one final surface tension experiment, start with a full glass of. Count the number of drops until the water spills over the edge of the penny.
Count each drop until the water begins to spill over the sides of the penny. In this physics lab, we will be exploring a property of water known as surface tension. The coin drop experiments steve spangler science the lab. Water molecules are cohesive they stick to each other because of the hydrogen bonds formed between them. Water molecules at the surface are pulled from both sides and experience surface tension. The purpose of the experiment is to test the cohesion and surface tension properties of the penny and solution. The bubble shape is a result of the water molecules clinging to one another in an optimal shape just like. Students will be able to determine how hydrogen bonding causes the cohesion of water.
Slowly squeeze the pipette and allow 1 drop of water to drop onto the surface of the penny. The activity builds on the cool science experiment where kids try to add as many drops of water as possible to the surface of a pe. Repeat the experiment using different types of liquid, such as cooking oil, water with dish washing liquid. Use the medicine dropper or pipette to drop the water on top of a penny. The number of water drops a penny can hold is not influenced by side of penny. You will see a dome shape start forming by the puddle of water. Lab drops on a penny background information cohesion. This shows inconsistent technique in creating the drops. Jun 25, 2015 place your penny on a flat, level surface that can get a little wet, such as a kitchen counter. Measure surface tension with a penny scientific american. Make sure that you always read the level at the bottom of the meniscus the bottom of the curve of the water at eye level.
Sep 25, 2017 3 use an eyedropper or pipette to draw water and, carefully, drop individual drops of water onto the flat surface of the penny. In this lab, we will explore the surface tension of water. The penny lab is a simple easy to do lab that students tend to enjoy. As seen, the water particles, when released from the container stuck together. Using the dropper, carefully put a drop of water in the center of the coin. Apply the scientific method as you work through this lab. Try this coin and water experiment and keep track of your results on a free printable chart. I use each year as an intro type lab when talk over properties of water. Materials 2 different coins paper towel eyedropper water lab sheet. This fun scientific method activity deals with the surface tension of water and whether it is affected by adding soap. If you do provide the class with the real answer, you can then ask them why it was important to conduct the penny dropping experiment in the order of water, alcohol, and oil. Pennies minted before 1982 are composed of 95 percent copper and 5 percent zinc. Detergents lower the surface tension by disrupting the hydrogen bonds, making the water less able to pile up on a penny. It can be fit into topics that include the scientific method, valuable properties of water, surface tension, activity of soap or naoh, or just a general fu.
Award less points if use significantly fewer than 20 drops and stop the investigation. It is worth considering the method you will use to analyze your data. How many drops of water can the surface of a penny hold before the water spills over the side. Predict how many drops you can fit on a quarter compared with the penny. The starting volume is not important, but must be recorded accurately. What is the independent variable for the drops on a penny lab. Soap a surfactant will then be added to the water to test if this changes how many drops can be held on the penny. Students record their results in the data table provided in the handout. For ease of cleanup, you may also want to lay a paper towel down on the table underneath the coins. The surface tension of water allows a surprisingly large number of water droplets to. Dont use soap, but use water and a towel to clean and dry off your penny. Because she sits out in the elements and is surrounded by salt water, she has a patina similar to our green pennies.
How is the surface tension of water affected by soap. Students will be able to create a bar graph of their results. Rip a small chunk off the paper that is big enough for the penny to sit on. Dropping a penny into an empty glass sounds ordinary and simple at first. Count the number of drops until the water spills over the edge of. Place the penny, heads up, on top of a paper towel. Guess how many water drops you can fit on the front of a penny. Using a dropper bottle containing only water, count the number of drops of water that you can balance on top of a penny. Use the eye dropper to drop water on the penny, one drop at a time. Keep adding water one drop at a time and keep count. Header title purpose procedure data graph calculations questions conclusion background information. This activity is commonly used to develop data for teaching graphing skills and sometimes for teaching the necessity of controlling variables in an experiment. This reaction formed a circular shape which remained in tact even when the surface was broken.
Make green pennies science activity copper experiment. A patina is a thin layer that has formed on the surface of your copper penny from weathering and oxidization from the chemical process we just put the penny through. Use an eye dropper to place drops of water on the penny one at a time until any amount of water runs over the edge of the penny. Record the number of drops for that trial in the data table. Place your penny on a flat, level surface that can get a little wet, such as a kitchen counter. Surface tension can be measured and observed by dropping water drop by drop onto a penny. Using a pipet, slowly drop individual droplets of water onto the surface of the penny. Repeat these steps using the soapy and colored water on their own pennies.
However, the main point of the activity is for students to come up with an explanation for their. Students will continue adding water in the same location of the penny until the water spills over the side. Use a dropper to place as many drops of water on the penny one at a time until any amount of water runs over the edge of the penny. At steve spangler science ordinary and simple are invitations for us to dream up ways to use science to get it done. Students will identify and label parts of the scientific method on which type of water will hold more drops on a penny. How many drops of water can fit on a penny surface tension. Drops on a penny experiments steve spangler science. Visualizing surface tension on a penny in this experiment, you will visualize the surface tension of water by dropping water onto a penny with an eyedropper.
Students conduct a simple test to determine how many drops of each of three liquidswater, rubbing alcohol, vegetable oilcan be placed on a penny before spilling over. Use an eyedropper to place drops of water on the penny one at a time until any amount of water runs over the edge of the penny. The number of water drops that can fit on a penny will surprise you. Surface tension is the reason you can fit so much water on the penny. The classic water drops on a penny lab has never been more clear, cut and dry than this. Record the number of drops of water the surface of the penny can hold in the table on the next page under the column labeled run 1. Surface tension refers to waters ability to stick to itself. Because of their different surface tensions, more water can be piled on top of a penny than either of the other two liquids. I used the same penny and dropper through the experiment. Students examine properties of water by dropping water onto a penny. Hold your dropper about 1inch above the penny and add drops of water to the surface of the penny until it overflows.
We will observe and study this property by determining how many drops of water will fit on a penny. You will continue to place drops of water on the penny as your partner keeps track and records in the data table, until the water tension breaks and water falls off of the penny. Final surface tension student the young scientist program. For the drops on a penny lab experiment, testers use an eyedropper to drop single drops of water onto a penny, and they count how many drops can fit on the surface before spilling over. Water molecules are attracted to other water molecules. This trivial matter will be used to illustrate the steps in the scientific method, and to show that even little things are not so simple as they might initially seem. The statue of liberty is covered in a thin layer of copper. Some of the specific activities are modified from ones seen at woodrow wilson workshops and from activities done by brad williamson of olathe, kansas. The number of water drops a penny can hold is influenced by side of penny. Coins pennies, dimes, nickels and quarters water eye dropper paper towels drops on a coin record chart. An object at rest tends to stay at rest, and an object in motion tends to stay in motion with the same speed and in the same direction unless acted upon by an unbalanced force. Final lab report the abstract is a short paragraph summarizing purpose, problem examined, results, and outcomes of the lab.
Use the pipette to place drop of water on the coin one at a time until any amount of water runs over the edge of the coin. Therefore, the claim that water will form into a sphere in space. What is the independent variable for the drops on a penny. Write down at least 3 sentences of background information. You will need a small cup of water, an eye dropper, and an assortment of spare coins. The number of drops will probably come out about the same each. Water drops on a penny black kansas association of. Purpose to show how changes in procedures can cause changes in results. Check to make sure all of the materials needed are at your lab station. The three liquids are water, rubbing alcohol, and vegetable oil. How many drops will stay on the face of a penny without spilling water off the sides. The same student then dries off the penny and repeats two more times. Have you wondered how many drops of water can fit on a penny. The challenge is to discover a creative and scientifically sound way to drop a penny into a glass.
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