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Description

Experiment looking at surface tension

Resources

A piece of thin card
A clean plastic bowl or basin
Water
Washing-up liquid

Instructions

Cut a boat shape out of card, small enough so it has plenty of room in the bowl/basin.
Carefully lay the shape down on top of the water so it lies flat.
Place a blob of washing-up liquid on your finger.
Touch the water behind the boat, then watch it zoom across to the other side of the bowl!

What's happening? - the boat stays afloat due to the surface tension of the water (water molecules sticking together to form a sort of 'skin' on top). By adding the washing-up liquid the surface tension behind the boat is broken. The surface tension in front of the boat pulls it forward.

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