Colourful Walking Water Experiment

Can water move between cups without your help? Try this experiment to find out! ​

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What you will need: 

• Small Plastic Cups or Glasses 

• Paper Towels 
• Food Colouring (Red, Yellow, Blue) 
• A Piece of Paper for Each Person To Record Their Observations 

What to do: 

1. Place 7 cups in a row and pour water in the 1st, 3rd, 5th and 7th cups. Try to fill the cups ¾ the way full. 
   
2. Add 5 drops of red food colouring in the 1st and 7th cup. 
3. Add 5 drops of yellow food colouring to the 3rd cup. 
4. Add 5 drops of blue food coloring to the 5th cup. 
   
5. Fold a piece of paper towel lengthwise into 4 and cut into strips along the fold lines. 
6. Trim the length of your strips of paper towel  so that they reach from one cup to the other with little paper towel sticking up between the cups 
7. Before starting the experiment ask yourself “what do you think will happen to the water?” 
   
8. Place your strips of paper towel in the cups, so that one strip goes from the 1st cup to the 2nd. Then take another strip from the 2nd cup to the 3rd cup, repeat this until the last piece of paper towel goes from the 6th cup to the 7th.  
   
9. Stare at the cups to see what happens, then write down or draw what you see! While this is happening ask yourself “What is happening?” “Why are the colours changing?” and “Why might the water be able to move like that?”    

What does this experiment show us? 

• This experiment shows us that the water is able to move upwards, against gravity, because of capillary action. This is because the paper towel is made up of fibers, which the water travels up into the gaps of these fibers. The paper towel acts like tubes which pulls the water up against gravity! 
• Capillary action is what helps water move from a plant’s roots, up into its leaves at the top of a plant.   

For more information and pictures, visit http://funlearningforkids.com/rainbow-walking-water-science-experiment-kids\