In this week’s Science investigation lesson, Year 7 and 8 were looking at a simple experiment where water seems to defy gravity.
Pupils investigated what happened when you placed a piece of card over a glass containing some water and then turn it upside down. Most people would assume that the card will simply fall off and the water pour out. However, when performed correctly the water and card seem to defy gravity. Keeping the water in the glass and card attached, even though the glass is fully inverted and nothing seems to be holding the card to the glass.
Once pupils had got it to work once, they then modified single variables to see if it would work under different conditions. Some changed the material (card, plastic, paper etc.), others modified the volume of water in the glass, some investigated if it needed to be a glass or if it would work with plastic containers. Suggestions were also made that they could change the liquid in the glass.
Lastly, if students had a disposable plastic cup they were asked to put a small hole in the bottom of the cup and observe if it still worked... it doesn’t! They then had to research why the hole makes it no longer work.