 your results
Sent in by:
Katherine of Edmonton, AB, Canada
Fast dips sink clips! Can you make a paper clip float?
- bowl of water
- paper towels
- paper clips
- Drop a paper clip in a cup of water. What happens?
- Tear off a piece of paper towel that is slightly larger than the paper clip.
- Place the piece of paper towel on top of the water.
- Gently place another paper clip on the piece of paper towel. Wait a few seconds. Now what happens?
If you drop a paper clip in water, the paper clip sinks. But if you put the paper clip on a piece of paper towel, the paper towel sinks and the paper clip floats. This is because water particles are attracted to each other in all directions, making them "stick" together. However, because there are no water particles above them, the water particles at the surface "stick" only to particles next to and below them. This makes the surface act as if it had a thin "skin". This is called surface tension. The paper towel helps you to lower the paper clip onto the surface gently without breaking the surface tension. If you're very careful, you can float the paper clip on the water without using the paper towel.
Now it's time for you to experiment. What happens if you add a drop of liquid soap to the water while the paper clip is floating? Or, what happens if you put the paper clip in another liquid, like vegetable oil or soda water? Share your thoughts with other ZOOMers by sending them to ZOOM through our special feedback area. We'll post a whole bunch of them right here every week!
Gabrielle, age 13 of Montreal, QC wrote:
i tried it in my bath tub and it really worked!! even with 5 paperclips!! it was awesome!!
Brianna, age 9 of S. Ozone Park, NY wrote:
welll, I found out that the key is to put it in gently.
Ruman, age 16 of Paterson, NJ wrote:
i got to cups of water and put two paper clips in each and I was shocked to see that it actually floats.
Joslyn, age 11 of Yankton, SD wrote:
It worked very well!! I did it w/ paper and it worked even beter!!! Then, I did something from soap powered boat, I put soap in the "Engine" andIt went all the way across the bowl I did it for my science class and they loved it!
Connor, age 14 of Wildwood, MO wrote:
If you put the paper towel and 2nd paper clip in at the SAME time, with the paper clip on top of the paper towel, then it should always work. Think of it like a needle; if you poke it in your skin, it will go in but if you just rest the needle on your skin, the needle will not penetrate in. Surface tension also explains how bugs or mosquitos can float on top of the water without sinking.
Ashley, age 11 of IL wrote:
Well first I put a papperclip in the water and it sunk. Then I put a paper and a paperclip on top of it. the paper didnt sink though I waited a few seconds then I pushed it down and it worked. It was so so awsome.
Kaitlyn, age 9 of Deputy, IN wrote:
I got 12 paper clips to float!!!
Nicole, age 10 of Paul, ID wrote:
It flouted. I didn't think it would
Sabina, age 11 of Brooklyn, NY wrote:
It floated it was cool. I want to do it lots of times.
Raheem, age 10 of Minneapolis, MN wrote:
the paperclip floated on the paper.
Rosann of Grand Rapids, MI wrote:
At first the paper clip sunk, even when I used the paper towel. Then, I tried using a smaller (therefore lighter) paper clip and the experiment worked. I came to the conclusion that you have to have a small paper clip not one of the huge ones.
Thomas, age 13 of Boston, MA wrote:
The paper clip will not sink unless you cut the papar towel into a shape of a square.
Daddy, age 14 of Regina, SK wrote:
well.. I did it the first time and it didnt work then I tryed it with the paper towel then it worked so that was cool well p-soup! haha
Tyler, age 10 of Niskayuna, NY wrote:
if it didnt work for you then heres a tip. it has to be COLD water. if its warm it sinks. cold makes it work.
Bianca, age 10 of New York wrote:
it didnt work. The paper clip sunk along with the paper tawle.
Jeannica, age 9 of Mississippi wrote:
the paper clips floated
Sarah, age 10 of Minneapolis, MN wrote:
i tried it and it just sank down and then I did the paper towel thing and it floated right UP! it was AWESOME!
Ashley, age 12 of North Bergen, NJ wrote:
my paper clip actually floated with out the paper but when I touch it it sinks. wierd.
Justin, age 10 of Garden City, MI wrote:
Yay! It worked! When the paper clip floated my sister freaked out. She is three.
Cindy, age 10 of Jersey City, NJ wrote:
It was awsome! It worked!
Savannah, age 11 of Metairie, LA wrote:
The paperclip sunk to the bottom of the cup. I never got it to float. So sad.
Willie, age 12 of Metairie, LA wrote:
when I put the paper clip in the water it floted but when I put the soap in it sunk.
Lexis, age 10 of Metairie, LA wrote:
the paperclip floated. it was so cool. I learnd alot. I wish we could do it with different liquids.
Maritza, age 10 of New Orleans, LA wrote:
my paperclip sunk to the bottom of my cup when I put in my paperclip I never got it to float
Alexandra, age 10 of New Orleans, LA wrote:
When I put in my paperclip in my cup it never did float because I did not clean my cup out before I did it.
Michelle, age 11 of New Orleans, LA wrote:
When I did this experiment, my paper clip didn't float. I like this experiment, it's interesting. thanks for the idea guys. it's great.
Donald, age 12 of Montreal, QC wrote:
It worked out real well. This was my favorite experiment. I did it for my science fair project.
Mary of Albany, NY wrote:
its SO fun to float the paper clips on the water
Rene, age 10 of Anchorage, AK wrote:
i did it the first then I made a mistake then I got it right
|
