Did you know that all liquids, solids and gases expand, or get bigger, when they are heated? We did an experiment to see how this happens.
Materials used:
A kettle, a measuring jug & 1l plastic bottle.
Procedure:
1 First we heated (not boiled) water in a kettle.
2. Once heated, we measured exactly 1 litre in a measuring jug.
3. Next we poured the water into a 1 litre plastic bottle and tightened the lid to prevent evaporation.
4. After an hour of cooling time, we examined the bottle. We observed how the plastic bottle had caved in a bit.
5. Then we poured the water back into the measuring jug and discovered that only 920ml remained.
6. Finally we concluded that the water expanded when heated and contracted once cooled!
We enjoyed linking our learning in Maths (measures – capacity) to our discoveries in Science!
Togher Boys' National School 