Water Science Experiments

Looking for simple water science experiments dealing with capillary action and condensation? These experiments will show your students the basics of these scientific principles with simple materials and directions.

Capillary Action Plant Color

Plants need sunlight, air, water, the right temperature, soil, and room to grow in order to be healthy. This experiment will show us how plants pull water out of the soil with their roots and send it up to the rest of plant.

You will need a tall clear glass or vase, water, red or blue liquid food coloring, a long piece of celery with the leaves still attached. The results will be measurable in 24 hours.

First, draw a picture of how the celery looks before you begin. Fill the vase or tall glass with water, and add a few drops of red or blue food coloring to the water. Put the celery in the water and leave it overnight. In the morning, record how the celery looks after being in the water all night.

Capillary action occurs when the roots of a plant grab onto water from the soil or from water they are placed in. The narrow tubes in the plant's stem carry the water upward to the other parts of the plant. The water molecules tend to stay together so each droplet of water then enters the tubes at the bottom of the plant pulls up more water molecules with it.

Condensation Coffee Can

To find out how frost forms on grass, trees, cars and other things when the weather turns cold, let's try this simple experiment with a metal coffee can with plastic lid, 8-10 ice cubes, ½ cup of salt, and a spoon. This experiment takes 30 minutes.

First, put the ice cubes in a coffee can, pour the salt on top of the ice cubes, and stir the salt and ice a few times. Put the lid on the container and let it sit on a flat surface. Check back at 10, 20, and 30 minute intervals and record what you see on the outside of the container.

Frost should appear on the outside of the container within 10-20 minutes. Condensation causes this. Water vapor is in the air around us. As the temperature cools, water vapor changes into liquid water. The ice causes the sides of the coffee can to become cooler than the air around the container, causing the water vapor to change into liquid water and then to freeze, forming a coat of frost.