What Kids Learn From This STEAM Activity
In the STEAM Activity, Water Down a String, kids learn water likes to stick together and to the other materials. They observe that when water is poured onto a string, it doesn’t just fall straight down like we might expect. Instead, it sticks to the string and flows along it, moving from a higher cup to a lower cup. This happens because of a combination of forces, including cohesion (water molecules sticking to each other) and adhesion (water molecules sticking to the string’s material). This experiment teaches kids that water can behave in interesting ways due to these forces, even defying gravity a bit. This experiment is like a mini water ride right in front of their eyes!
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What We Need For This STEAM Activity
STEAM Activity Water Down A String Materials
How to Do the STEAM Activity Water Down a String Experiment
- Fill one cup with water, about three-quarters full.
STEAM Activity Water Down A String – Pour Water Into A Cup - Fully wet the string with water.
STEAM Activity Water Down A String Materials – Soak the String in Water - Tape one end of a straight string inside both cups.
STEAM Activity Water Down A String – Tape the string to the inner side of both cups - Place the empty cup on the table.
- Hold the cup with water high above the empty cup.
STEAM Activity Water Down A String – Hold The Cup With Water In the Air - Gently pour the water down the string into the empty cup below.
- Watch as the water sticks to the string and flows down, moving from the higher cup to the lower cup.
STEAM Activity Water Down A String – Watch Water Go Down The StringVariations & Challenges
- Try using liquids other than water, like colored water or juice, and see if they flow down the string in the same way.
- Use different types of strings, like a shoelace or a piece of yarn, to see if the thickness of the string affects how the liquid flows.
- Use two strings side by side and pour water down one string while leaving the other dry. Compare how the water behaves in both strings.
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