Do NOT Open Bottle (Katie Robinson)

Author

Katie Robinson

Principle(s) Illustrated

• Water molecules, using surface tension, create a barrier and does not allow air to sneak in. When the cap is opened, the air enters through the top and pushes down on the water (along with gravity) and it squirts out the holes that are present.

Standards

• NGSS Science & engineering standards

  • Asking Questions and Defining Problems

  • Developing and Using Models

• NGSS Cross-cutting concept standards

  • Cause and Effect

  • Energy and Matter

  • Structure and Function

• NGSS Disciplinary core idea standards

  • PS2: Motion and Stability: Forces and Interactions

  • ETS1: Engineering Design

Questioning Script

Prior knowledge & experience:

When there is a hole in the container, the liquid pours out of it, no matter if the cap is on or off.

Root question:

Why does the water not squirt out when the cap is closed? Why does is it squirt out when the cap is off?

Target response:

Water particles are polar and therefore are attracted enough to each other to form a barrier to keep it from exiting the holes when there is no air pushing down on it. However, when the cap is off, the air does push down, forcing the water to escape the holes in the bottle.

Common Misconceptions:

When there is no water or liquid in the bottle, it is empty! WRONG - there is air!

Photographs and Movies

References

As taken from Sick Science via Steve Spangler (see the video above).