Dip ‘n Dye

Objective: 

Model capillary action.  What gets wetter the more it dries? A towel.  Why?  Because of capillary action.  Capillary action can be seen when you let your breakfast cereal get soggy, mop up a spill, cook dry spaghetti, paint a watercolor picture, and when you water a plant.  It is almost impossible to spend the day without seeing capillary action at work.

Age Level:

Kindergarten – Second Grade

Materials:

·        Water

·        Food coloring

·        Small bowls

·        Absorbent paper (coffee filters, rice paper, blotters, and paper towels)

·        Large piece of construction paper

Experiment:

1.     Fill bowls about ¼ full of water

2.     Add different colors of food coloring to each bowl.  The more you add, the more brilliant the colors.

3.     Fold or cut paper into any design you choose.  I like to cut mine into flowers and have the students create multi colored flowers.

4.     Dip the corners and edges of the folded paper into the bowls of different colored dye.  Watch the dye spread modeling capillary action.

5.     Unfold the paper and let dry.

6.     Use the paper to design a picture on construction paper.  This is great to display on a bulletin board.