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Home » Activities » Easy Science Experiments for Kids – Surface Tension

Easy Science Experiments for Kids – Surface Tension

This post may contain affiliate links. See my disclosure .

As you can probably guess from all my science-related posts lately, my sons are a bit, shall we say, obsessed with science experiments right now. For example, we love the dancing milk experiment and love doing experiments with try ice! So, I grabbed one of my trusty resources, 101 Great Science Experiments, and searched for an easy and inexpensive activity. Sure enough, I landed on perhaps the most perfect surface tension science experiment for kids.

Surface Tension Collage Pinterest

Surface Tension Science Experiment for Kids

Science is hands-on and fun for kids. The great part is that kids learn something while doing experiments that they enjoy! With a little bit of knowledge, you can easily bring this learning into your home and classroom.

Materials Surface Tension Science

Materials

  • Scissors
  • Card stock
  • Bowl*
  • Water
  • Dish soap

* I used a circular bowl first, then we used a longer pyrex bowl, which worked better because there was more space for the boat to speed off

Science with Kids Surface Tension

Approach

  • Cut a triangle from the card stock for your “boat”
  • Fill your bowl with water*
  • Gently place the triangle on top of the water (introduce the concept of surface tension)
  • Place a small amount of dish soap on a finger
  • Dip the fingertip into the water behind the “boat”
  • Observe the boat speed off
  • Encourage and ask questions

Speed Board Racing Science

What to do next?

  • Explain how the dish soap weakens the surface tension of the water. So, the tension is stronger in front of the “boat”.
  • Use different liquids
  • Experiment with different substances in the water (black pepper, for example, gives a great demonstration of soap deterring germs
  • Utilize different shapes (talk about velocity and physics)
  • What happens with more dish soap? More water? A bigger “boat”?
  • Have “boat” races
  • Experiment with different objects to see if the water’s surface tension can support various objects (such as a paper clip)
  • Sink/Float work
 

Tagged With: Easy & Inexpensive, Elementary, Kindergarten, Physics

About Marnie Craycroft

Marnie hails from Maine where she spent summers buried in sand and winters buried in snow. She is the daughter of a nearly four decade veteran of the public school systems. Teaching has always been a part of her life. She founded Carrots Are Orange in 2010.

Carrots Are Orange is a Montessori learning and living website for parents and teachers.

Marnie graduated from Wesleyan University in 1999 with a BA in Economics. She spent nearly a decade working in investment management. In 2006, she earned her MA in business from the University of Washington’s Foster School of Business.

Marnie moved to the west coast in 1999 and currently lives in Boulder with her husband and three sons. She is Montessori trained. Her work has been featured on Apartment Therapy, Buzzfeed, PBS Kids, BabyCenter, the Melissa & Doug blog, Huffington Post, and WhattoExpect.com. Besides writing, passions include running (usually after her three sons), photography, and outdoor adventures.

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