Travelling Water

In the travelling water experiment, you will witness two scientific concepts of adhesion and cohesion. While it may seem that the water magically sticks to the string as it runs its course, it is simply a property of water molecules sticking to both each other and the string itself. Try it for yourself and see!

You are going to need:

• Empty Cup
• String
• Food Coloring
• Tape
• Water

Directions:

1. Start with one cup filled with water and one cup empty. Cut a length of string about 24″ (61 cm) long. Hold one end of the string and dip the rest into the water to get it wet.
2. Tape the dry end of the string to the inside bottom of the dry cup at the center. Pretty much any type of tape will work. Press the tape firmly to the cup. Test it with a gentle tug.
3. Add some food coloring to the water. This makes it easier to see what’s happening.
4. Hold the loose end of the string in the water and hold the water cup slightly apart from and above the dry cup. Keep them far enough apart that the string is as taut as you can make it without pulling off the tape.
5. Tilt the water toward the string and slowly pour it out of the cup and down the string.
6. Keep the string in the bottom cup away from the rim so the water flows into the bottom of the cup.