Hold a spoon so that a stream of water hits in the bowl of the spoon. You would expect that the water would splash in all directions, but instead of a spray, the water forms a thin sheet of water, spreading out from the spoon. Why does this happen?
These experiments are from Robert Krampf - The Happy Scientist
This week's experiments is one of those that comes from two different
projects coming together. I got an e-mail this week from an educator asking
for experiments that could be done with spoons. While I was digging through
spoon experiments, I got a request to help design some exhibits
on the science of water for a new museum. The two projects came together
into a fun, easy way to make a solid, thin sheet of water. To do this, you
will need:
a spoon
a faucet
This one is a very easy experiment to do. Turn on the faucet to a stream
about as thick as your finger. Now hold the spoon so that the stream of
water hits in the bowl of the spoon. You would expect that the water would
splash in all directions, but something very different happens. Instead of a
spray, the water forms a thin sheet of water, spreading out from the spoon.
Why does this happen?
To understand that, we need to take a close look at a molecule of water. The
chemical formula for water is H2O. That means that a molecule of water is
made up of two atoms of hydrogen (H) and one atom of oxygen (O). The
hydrogens are stuck to one end of the oxygen. Imagine the oxygen atom as
Mickey Mouse's head and the two hydrogen atoms are the ears. This
arrangement causes the water molecule to be polarized. One end has a
positive charge and the other end has a negative charge. Since opposite
charges tend to stick to each other, the molecules in a drop of water act
like a pile of magnets. They all stick together.
When the stream of water hits the spoon, it spreads outwards. Instead of
breaking up into lots of droplets, the water sticks together, forming a thin
sheet. As it spreads outwards from the spoon, it spreads into a thinner and
thinner sheet, until finally it breaks up at the edge. As you turn up the
stream of water, you can get the sheet of water to extend out quite a long
way. Try some of the other silverware, comparing forks, knives, etc. You
can even try glasses, plates, etc. In fact, add a little soap and before you
know it, you will have washed all the dishes!
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