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Go With the Flow

Activity

Go With the Flow

Grade Levels

6th Grade, 7th Grade, 8th Grade

Course, Subject

Science and Technology and Engineering Education, Science
  • Big Ideas
    A technological world requires that humans develop capabilities to solve technological challenges and improve products for the way we live.
    Each area of technology has a set of characteristics that separates it from others; however, many areas overlap in order to meet human needs and wants.
    Forces can act upon an object to change the position, direction, and/or speed of its motion.
    Technological design is a creative process that anyone can do which may result in new inventions and innovations.
    Technological literacy is the ability to use, assess and manage technology around us.
  • Concepts
    A technological world requires an understanding of how things are made and can be improved.
    Asking questions and making observations help a person understand how technology works and may be modified.
    Bio-related technologies are the processes of using biological mater to make or modify products.
    Bio-related technologies are the processes of using biological organisms to make or modify products.
    Communication is the process of composing, sending, and receiving messages through technology.
    Communication is the process of composing, sending, and receiving messages using technological devices.
    Construction is the process of turning materials into useful structures.
    Construction is the process of turning raw materials into useful structures.
    Different modes of transportation move people from one place to another.
    Each structure is designed for a purpose.
    Ecosystems can be controlled by technology.
    Energy and power technologies are the processes of converting energy sources into useful power.
    Energy and power technologies use processes to convert energy into power.
    Energy is produced in many forms and should not be wasted.
    In a technological world, inventions and innovations must be carefully assessed by individuals and society as a whole.
    Innovation is the process of improving an existing product, process, or system.
    Innovation is the process of modifying an existing product, process, or system to improve it.
    Invention is a process of creating new products, processes, or systems.
    Invention is a process of turning ideas and imagination into new products, processes, or systems.
    Inventions and innovations must be carefully assessed by individuals and society.
    Manufacturing is the process of turning materials into useful products.
    Manufacturing is the process of turning raw materials into useful products.
    Many processes and tools are used to make products.
    Models and graphs can be used to determine the presence or absence of unbalanced forces.
    Newton’s three laws of motion can be used to explain and measure the motion of objects.
    People select, create, and use science and technology and are limited by constraints (e.g. social and physical).
    Pushes, pulls, friction, and gravity are forces that can act upon an object to change its position, direction, and/or speed.
    Safety is a major concern for all technological development and use.
    Safety is a preeminent concern for all technological development and use.
    Safety is one of the most important concerns for all technological development and use.
    Technological design & problem solving includes both formative and summative analysis.
    Technological design & problem solving requires the ability to clearly communicate engineered solutions.
    Technological design & problem solving requires the application of hands-on abilities such as sketching, prototyping, and fabricating.
    Technological design & problem solving transforms an idea into a final product or system.
    Technological design & problem solving utilizes a series of steps that take place in a well-defined sequence.
    Technological design process involves problem solving and designing solutions to problems.
    Technological literacy is a lifetime endeavor.
    Technological literacy is necessary for a productive 21st century skilled workforce.
    Technological literacy is required for all citizens in a democratic society for shared decision-making.
    Technological literacy is the ability to understand, use, assess, design, and produce technology (i.e. Invention & Innovation).
    Technology allows people to send messages to one another in a variety of ways.
    Technology and society mutually impact each other.
    Technology is designed to have an impact on a living being’s health.
    Technology may have an effect and influence on society and the environment.
    The abilities required in a technological world include diagnosing, troubleshooting, analyzing and maintaining systems.
    The abilities required in a technological world include understanding, fixing, and maintaining systems.
    The design process includes identifying and investigating a problem, generating ideas, developing objects, testing/evaluating, and sharing findings with others.
    The motion of an object can be described by its position, direction and speed.
    The property inertia is an object’s resistance to a change in its motion.
    Transportation is the process of safely and efficiently moving people and products.
    Weight is the result of the earth’s gravitational force acting upon an object’s mass.
  • Competencies
    Clearly communicate engineered solutions in written, spoken, and graphical means.
    Communicate (i.e. written, oral or visual) an understanding of how something works after observing and asking questions of a problem.
    Design and develop the ability to create and transmit messages using technology.
    Design and develop the ability to safely and effectively use tools and materials to build structures.
    Design and develop the ability to safely and effectively use tools and materials to convert energy into useful power.
    Design and develop the ability to safely and effectively use tools and materials to manufacture products.
    Design and develop the ability to safely and effectively use tools and materials to transport people and products.
    Design and develop the ability to safely and effectively use tools and materials to utilize bio-related products and systems using technology.
    Develop skills for a 21st century workforce.
    Identify different ways a message can be conveyed to another person.
    Improve an existing product, process, or system.
    Investigate and explain how things work and how they may be maintained.
    List and describe several alternative energy sources.
    List and describe the purpose of several different types of structures.
    List and provide example of the four modes of transportation.
    List several types of medical technologies and describe its purpose.
    Solve problems of motion and forces by applying knowledge of Newton’s Laws, performing direct and indirect measurements of the motion of objects and forces acting upon objects, and performing graphical analysis of this experimental data.

Content Provider

© The Exploratorium
www.exploratorium.edu

Procedure

  1. 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.
  2. 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.
  3. 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.
  4. Dry the bottle and the cap, then wrap clear tape around it so the bottle won’t leak.
  5. Twirl the bottle slowly.
    • What do you see?
    • What happens when you stop twirling the bottle?
    • What happens if you spin it quickly?
  6. Try shaking the bottle up or side to side.
    • What different patterns do you see inside the bottle?
  7. 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.
Note: If you find a really nice plastic bottle or jar, you can give this to someone as a gift!

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.

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!

Materials

  • A clear plastic bottle or jar with a tight-fitting, screw on cap or lid (clear plastic water bottle)
  • Liquid hand soap that has glycol stearate in it (The brand we used is Colgate-Palmolive's Softsoap, but any brand of liquid soap with glycol stearate will work. Please check the ingredients on the label as not glycol distearate will NOT work .)
  • Water
  • Food coloring
  • Clear tape
  • Content Collections

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