SCIENCE EXPERIMENTS FOR KIDS

Judging by the water that is everywhere when kids brush their teeth or take a shower, they probably think it disappears like magic. But does it?

In this experiment, your kids will get to investigate the evaporation process and what factors have an effect on evaporation times. This one will take a bit of time for them to see results, but it will make them think about where water goes when it "disappears." Sorry, it probably won't help them clean up after they brush their teeth, though.

GATHER THIS:

• Shallow trays with rims
• Cardstock or heavy paper cut to fit the bottom of the trays
• Food coloring in various colors
• Cups
• Eyedroppers or small spoons

THEN DO THIS:

1. Fill the cups halfway with water.
2. Place a few drops of food coloring into each cup.
3. Use your eyedropper or small spoon to drop the colored water onto your paper. Try to use different amounts of water each time, so that you'll be able to see the different rates of evaporation.
4. See how your artwork changes as it dries and the water evaporates!

ASK THIS:

• How long did it take for the paper to dry where you placed water?
• Which parts of your paper dried more quickly than other parts?

WHAT IS HAPPENING?

Absorption: Paper is made of tiny overlapping plant fiber (cellulose) tubes, and the water becomes incorporated into the paper because of capillary action.

Evaporation: This is the process where liquids change to a gas or vapor from the energy created when molecules bounce into one another because they are being affected by heat.