This week we took advantage of the below freezing temperatures to conduct a states of matter experiment. We had previously learned about the three states of matter - solid, liquid, gas (*with plasma being a fourth). Now we wanted to conduct an experiment to observe what can happen when matter changes form.
We dyed water with green food coloring and filled containers of different sizes and materials with it: a glass spaghetti sauce jar with a metal lid, an aluminum can, a small plastic spice bottle with a plastic lid, a small glass yogurt container with no lid, a plastic bath salts tube with a metal lid, and a plastic medicine bottle with a plastic lid. The students then recorded a prediction for what they thought would happen as the water froze into ice. Some kids thought the larger containers would not freeze completely while the smaller containers would. Some kids hypothesized that the glass containers would shatter. Other kids considered that the open containers may spill over the tops without the container sustaining any damage. Then we set up our containers in the courtyard and waited to see what would happen.
The classes checked in on the containers each day this week to see what changes had taken place. Our two glass containers did, in fact, break as the water expanded into ice. The aluminum can and plastic containers were reshaped under the pressure of the water expanding - bulging out at the sides or ends. The 1-2 kids were fascinated to see the changes that had taken place and recorded the results on their experiment papers.
This knowledge of just how forceful water can be when it changes state to ice also connects to our erosion study. As water seeps into cracks in rocks, for example, then freezes in cold temperatures, the force of the expanding ice can make cracks larger or break rocks apart. We will be looking for examples of this on our next Town Forest walk.
Check out the pictures below of our experiment results. Ask your child to tell you about our science experiment!
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