Go With the Flow
Go With the Flow
Grade Levels
6th Grade, 7th Grade, 8th Grade
Course, Subject
Science and Technology and Engineering Education, Science
Related Academic Standards
Content Provider
© The Exploratorium
www.exploratorium.edu
www.exploratorium.edu
Procedure
- Fill the bottle or jar ¼ full with liquid soap. Add a drop or two of food coloring. The coloring will make the swirls easier to see.
- Turn on your faucet so you have just a trickle of water. Use that to fill up the rest of the bottle. (DO NOT run the water hard, it will foam). Make sure the water fills the bottle all the way up to the top.
- Screw the cap on the bottle. Turn the bottle upside-down a few times to mix the soap and water. If you get foam, take off the cap and trickle in some more water. The foam will run over the edge. Recap the bottle tightly.
- Dry the bottle and the cap, then wrap clear tape around it so the bottle won’t leak.
- Twirl the bottle slowly.
- What do you see?
- What happens when you stop twirling the bottle?
- What happens if you spin it quickly?
- Try shaking the bottle up or side to side.
- What different patterns do you see inside the bottle?
- If the liquid inside the bottle looks like it’s all one solid color, just twirl or shake it again to make more patterns. If the cap on the bottle is sealed, Go with the Flow can last for years.
Explanation
Why can I see patterns in the water?
You normally cannot see the patterns of water as it flows through a container; it always looks like it is going the same way. But, glycol stearate is a chemical that gives some liquid hand soaps a pearly look, allows seeing patterns flow in water.
What kinds of patterns can I see in my jar?
Who cares about these patterns?
When you turn the bottle slowly, you’ll probably see smooth streaks in the water. When layers of water are moving slowly and smoothly past each other, you get his pattern, which scientists call laminar flow.
When you suddenly stop turning the bottle, or when you turn it very fast, you may see lots of swirls and wavy patterns. When one layer or water moves rapidly past another layer of water, it causes turbulence, which you see as swirly patterns.
When people design airplanes, cars, boats, golf balls, and other things that move through the air or water, they study the patterns blowing air or flowing water makes as the object moves through it. Differences in the flow of air or water can affect how well and airplane flies, how much mileage a car gets per gallon, how fast a boat can go, or how far a golf ball will fly when you smack it with a club.
You normally cannot see the patterns of water as it flows through a container; it always looks like it is going the same way. But, glycol stearate is a chemical that gives some liquid hand soaps a pearly look, allows seeing patterns flow in water.
What kinds of patterns can I see in my jar?
Who cares about these patterns?
When you turn the bottle slowly, you’ll probably see smooth streaks in the water. When layers of water are moving slowly and smoothly past each other, you get his pattern, which scientists call laminar flow.
When you suddenly stop turning the bottle, or when you turn it very fast, you may see lots of swirls and wavy patterns. When one layer or water moves rapidly past another layer of water, it causes turbulence, which you see as swirly patterns.
When people design airplanes, cars, boats, golf balls, and other things that move through the air or water, they study the patterns blowing air or flowing water makes as the object moves through it. Differences in the flow of air or water can affect how well and airplane flies, how much mileage a car gets per gallon, how fast a boat can go, or how far a golf ball will fly when you smack it with a club.
Description
This activity can be used as a mini-lab for middle school science students while discussing motion. This can also be used during a lesson on aerodynamics to show students what scientists study before the build certain objects. The students will be able to take this lab home and show their parents!