Time to go to the races! Using materials found in the kitchen, this experiment/activity will have your children captivated for hours! Not only is it super cool to watch the water droplets move across wax paper, they actually break into smaller beads and set the stage for an exciting blow to the finish race!
What you need:
- Straws
- Waxed paper
- Water
- Food coloring
- Eye dropper or straw
- Flat surface
What you do:
- Mix food coloring with water in a glass.
- Draw a starting line and a finish line on a piece of wax paper. Make the track as long as you wish.
- Using an eye dropper or a straw, drop water drops onto the wax paper on the starting line.
- On your marks, get set, go! Move the drops by blowing them with the straw across the wax paper to the finish line (the other end). First one to the end wins!
Why does this work?
Water rolls on wax paper because water and wax possess different polarity. Water is polar while wax is non-polar. Hence, wax will not be soluble in water. It’s all about surface tension and the bonding properties of water molecules
Want to learn more? Experiment and discover…
Can you break up the larger drops into smaller racing drops?Try by blowing very hard.
Can you blow the beads together to mix colors and make larger beads?
Can you control the directions of the water drops? Draw a maze with permanent marker on the wax paper and try to blow the drops following the path.
