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a glass of water

Food coloring and water project – A glass of water

How can we see molecules move?

To see that water molecules move around even when the water seems to be very still, take a full glass of water, cover it with a piece of plastic wrap, and poke a small hole in the plastic wrap.

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Food coloring and still water

Wait for two days without disturbing the glass, until you are sure the water is not moving. Carefully drop one drop of red food coloring into the water through the hole in the plastic wrap, disturbing the water as little as possible.

What happens?

At first, the water is only red in one place. But gradually over several days the red will spread through the water until it is evenly distributed. That’s because the water molecules are moving.

What do you think would happen if you tried the same thing with very hot water? How about very cold water? Write down what you think would happen and then do another water project to find out. Were you right? Why or why not?

Cold-blooded fish and reptiles

Most fish and reptiles can’t control their own body temperature. They just are the same temperature as the air or water around them. How do you think it would affect them if the water or air around them got hotter or colder? (Hint: think about the fact that blood is mostly made of water.)

Did this water project work well for you? Do you have any suggestions for improving it? Let us know in the comments!

Another project with ice
Find out more about ice
More chemistry projects

Bibliography and further reading about science projects:

Ice
Atoms
Chemistry
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