water droplets on a penny experiment

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Drops Of Water On A Penny

Have you ever thought about how many drops of water can fit on a penny ? Try this fun science experiment with things found in your purse or pocket! Explore the surface tension of water with this fun and easy penny lab with the kids. We are always on the hunt for simple science experiments , and this one is just super fun and easy!

Explore How Many Water Drops On Penny

Add this simple penny lab to your science activities this season. If you want to learn about the surface tension of water, let’s dig in. While you’re at it, make sure to check out these other fun water science experiments.

Exploring water drops on a penny is a fantastic science experiment for kids because it’s simple and fascinating. By placing drops of water onto a penny, kids can observe how the water beads up and forms a dome-like shape, defying gravity.

This phenomenon occurs due to surface tension , the cohesive force that causes water molecules to stick together. Through this experiment, kids can learn about surface tension and how it affects the behavior of liquids. They can also experiment with variables such as the number of water drops or the penny’s cleanliness to see how it impacts the results. Additionally, this experiment can be efficiently conducted with everyday household items, making it accessible and engaging for scientists of all ages.

Water Drops On A Penny Project

You can also easily turn your penny experiment into a fantastic presentation along with your hypothesis. Check out the resources below to get started.

• Easy Science Fair Projects
• Science Project Tips From A Teacher
• Science Fair Board Ideas

Penny Lab Experiment In The Classroom

TIP: If you want to add a little variety to this experiment, swap out the pennies for nickels, dimes, and quarters. Ask your students to guess how many drops will fit on each coin. Record the date from the experiment and make a class graph chart with your results!

Additional ideas for penny lab hypotheses include using different liquids or clean vs. dirty pennies . What else can you think of when creating an experiment?

Get Your Free Printable Penny Lab Guide!

Penny Lab Experiment

Let’s investigate how many drops of water can fit on a penny. Grab your purse, turn over the couch cushions, or break out the piggy bank; it’s time to find some pennies to experiment with!

• Eyedropper or pipette
• Food coloring (makes seeing this in action MUCH easier, but is optional)
• Small bowls

Penny Experiment Set Up:

STEP 1: Add water to both of your bowls, and one of them, add green food coloring. This is optional if you want to see the drops a bit better.

STEP 2: Use an eyedropper or pipette to pick up and carefully drip one drop of water at a time onto the penny.

STEP 3: Count how many drops you can fit onto one penny until the water overflows.

We were able to get ours up to about 27! Go ahead and record the data for separate trials on the same coin. What can you conclude?

Why Do So Many Drops Of Water Fit On A Penny?

Were you surprised that a lot more drops of water fit on a penny than you predicted? We had 27 drops of water on ours!

What property of water allows the water to stick to the penny? Surface tension and cohesion are why you can get so many drops of water on a penny.

Cohesion is the “stickiness” of like molecules to one another. Water molecules love to stick together! Surface tension is the result of all the water molecules sticking together. Learn more about the surface tension of water !

Once the water has reached the edge of the penny, a dome shape begins to form. This is due to the surface tension forming a shape with the least amount of surface area possible (like bubbles )!

What happens if you use a different liquid like alcohol? Can you as many drops on a penny?

More Fun Penny Experiments

• Sink the boat challenge!
• Penny Spinners
• Green Pennies Experiment
• Paper Bridge STEM Challenge
• Lemon Battery STEM Project

Use the Scientific Method

This drops of water on a penny experiment is a fantastic opportunity to use the scientific method and record your experiment using the free mini worksheet pack below.

You can read about using the scientific method here , and find more information on the independent and dependent variables !

The first step in the scientific method is asking a question and developing a hypothesis.

Apply the scientific method to this drops-on-a-penny science activity and turn it into a surface tension experiment by choosing a question to investigate.

• How many drops do you think will fit on a penny? (PREDICTION)
• What happens when one drop of water meets another drop? (OBSERVATION)
• Which coin held the most water? (EXPLANATION)
• Can you think of everyday examples of surface tension? (APPLICATION)

Helpful Science Resources To Get You Started

Here are a few resources that will help you introduce science more effectively to your kiddos or students and feel confident yourself when presenting materials. You’ll find helpful free printables throughout.

• Best Science Practices (as it relates to the scientific method)
• Science Vocabulary
• 8 Science Books for Kids
• All About Scientists
• Science Supplies List
• Science Tools for Kids

More Science Experiments To Try

Check out our list of science experiments for Jr Scientists!

• Walking Water
• Rubber Egg Experiment
• Why Do Things Float In Salt Water?
• Water Density Experiment

Printable Science Projects For Kids

If you’re looking to grab all of our printable science projects in one convenient place plus exclusive worksheets and bonuses like a STEAM Project pack, our Science Project Pack is what you need! Over 300+ Pages!

• 90+ classic science activities  with journal pages, supply lists, set up and process, and science information.  NEW! Activity-specific observation pages!
• Best science practices posters  and our original science method process folders for extra alternatives!
• Be a Collector activities pack  introduces kids to the world of making collections through the eyes of a scientist. What will they collect first?
• Know the Words Science vocabulary pack  includes flashcards, crosswords, and word searches that illuminate keywords in the experiments!
• My science journal writing prompts  explore what it means to be a scientist!!
• Bonus STEAM Project Pack:  Art meets science with doable projects!
• Bonus Quick Grab Packs for Biology, Earth Science, Chemistry, and Physics

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Drops on a Coin

Activity length, 10-15 mins., activity type, discrepant event (investigatable).

In this demonstration, students' assumptions are challenged as they observe the power of surface tension in water droplets.

Although a water molecule has an overall neutral charge, the actual structure of a water molecule makes it a polar molecule (it has a positive end and a negative end). The two hydrogen atoms are slightly positive, and the oxygen atom is slightly negative. A weak link occurs between the negatively charged oxygen atom of one water molecule and the positively charged hydrogen atoms of a neighbouring water molecule. This weak link is called a hydrogen bond . The polarity of the water molecule can also cause it to be attracted to molecules of other polar substances.

There are two types of "stickiness" in this demonstration: cohesion and adhesion.

The attraction between water molecules is called cohesion . The cohesive force that occurs between water molecules is so strong that, at the water's surface, it creates a "skin", which is known as surface tension . Surface tension is strong enough to support insects that crawl across the water's surface, like water striders (Gerridae).

The attraction of water molecules to other substances, like soil or glass, is called adhesion . As drops of water are added onto a penny, the adhesive force between the water and the penny keeps the water from falling off.

Cohesive forces are strong, but not unbreakable. As a water drop builds up and out, usually bulging over the sides of the penny, the cohesive forces will eventually be overcome by the force of gravity on the water molecules. The "skin" will burst, and all of the water will spill off.

The cohesive forces between polar molecules are stronger than those between non-polar molecules, such as those in oil or syrup. That's why you can make a bigger "pile" of water than of oil or syrup.

Describe the cohesive and adhesive properties of water.

Per Student or Pair: 5 cent coin or penny an eyedropper water mineral/baby/olive oil corn syrup

Key Questions

• How many drops of water they think a coin can hold? Were your predictions correct?
• Does it matter if the coin is heads or tails?
• Will syrup/oil hold more or less drops than water? Why?
• How is it possible to get so many water drops on a coin?
• What causes the ‘skin’ on the surface of the big droplet?
• Would a 10 cent coin hold more or less drops? Why?
• Teacher Tip: Younger students may believe a 10 cent coin holds more because it is worth more despite being smaller.
• Place a coin on a table or desk.
• Holding the eyedropper close to the surface of the coin, carefully squeeze water droplets onto the coin, one at a time. The droplets should pool up on the coin, creating a big droplet of water. Get the students to count the drops.
• Stop squeezing when the droplet on the coin breaks up and overflows. The count is the number of drops that the coin could hold before the one that caused the coin to overflow.
• Wipe off the coin or use a new one.
• As before, gradually add drops of oil or syrup to the surface of the coin using the eyedropper. Get the students to count the drops.

Teacher Tip:  To make sure your count is accurate, hold the eyedropper far enough above the coin so that the drop has to fall a short distance before fusing with the droplet on the coin.

• Perform this as a student activity, rather than just a demo.
• Add a drop of soap/detergent to the water you use. It reduces the surface tension causing a dramatic reduction in the number of drops that will fit on the coin.
• Start with a full glass of plain water (with a dry rim to prevent the water from dripping down the side of the glass). How many coins can we add to the water without the glass overflowing?
• Gently add coins one by one. Because of surface tension, the water will rise above the rim of the glass before it spills (just like the initial experiment). Compare your original prediction with the number of coins you were able to add.

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Water Drops on a Penny – Science Experiment

Have you ever wondered how many drops of water you can put on a penny before the water spills. Okay, what’s your guess? I asked my children the same question today, and their guess was 5 or 6. So, we decided to give it a try and my kids were amazed to see the results. This is a super fun and quick science experiment to do at home, and it only needs come coins and water.

Materials for Water Drops on a Penny

• Different type of coins – penny, nickel, dime and quarter
• Eyedropper or Syringe
• paper and pencil

Instructions

• Fill the eyedropper or syringe with water.
• Rinse a penny and dry it completely.
• Place the penny on a plate with a flat surface.
• Guess how many drops you can place on a penny before the water spills. Write your guess on a paper.
• Attempt to drop water on the penny , one drop at a time, and count the amount of drops
• Record the results on the piece of paper next to the number you’ve guessed. How did they compare ? Have you been close in your estimated guess?

The Science behind it

Water molecules are attracted to each other, called cohesion. This attraction creates a bond on the surface called “surface tension.”. When the water reaches the rim of the penny, it begins to bulge over the surface as the molecules cling together. It is due to the surface tension forming a shape that has the least possible surface area. Eventually, gravity overcomes this force as the pile rises and the water spills over the side of the penny.

Further Extension

• Try using a nickel, dime or a quarter. What you predict is going to happen ?
• What do you think will happen if you used another liquid ( Milk, oil, soapy water etc )

Let’s stay connected. Follow my blog facebook page  My World Their Way

Here are some more science experiments to try

• BROKEN PENCIL SCIENCE
• HOW DO YOU EXPLAIN AIR RESISTANCE
• HOW DOES A STRAW WORKs | AIR PRESSURE
• WHY DO DOOR KNOBS FEEL COLD | THERMAL CONDUCTIVITY
• EARTH DAY QUIZ

Happy experimenting !

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Reader Interactions

February 8, 2021 at 7:01 pm

This is really neat! My seven year old is really into science and I think he would really enjoy this!

February 9, 2021 at 5:32 am

This is awesome! We love cool science experiments at my house!

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Penny Droplets

What you need.

• an eye-dropper
• liquid dish-soap
• a glass of water

What You Do

• Guess how many water drops you can fit on the front of a penny.
• Try it. How many drops will stay on the face of a penny without spilling water off the sides?
• Repeat the experiment, say, three times. The number of drops will probably come out about the same each time.
• Each time you do it, write down the number of drops.
• Add a tablespoon of dish soap to your glass of water. Stir gently, don’t make too many bubbles.
• How many soapy drops can you fit on the front of a penny now?
• Try it again.

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Penny Experiment with Water Drops

A penny experiment that demonstrates how water tension works and water can hold together in a dome shape – a super simple science experiment for kids!

Drop water on a penny and it just runs over the side, right?

Maybe not…

Maia was excited to show us a penny experiment she learned at school that demonstrated how water can hold together in a dome shape. This super simple science experiment requires only a penny, some water, and a dropper.

The Penny Experiment in Action

She showed us how we could carefully squeeze a drop of water at a time onto the top of the penny…

…and the droplets would combine to form a bubble of water.

Maia thought it looked a little like a snow globe (one of her favorite things).

We each tried the penny experiment to see how many drops of water it would take before it reached its limit. Because once it did, the water bubble burst and flowed over the edge of the penny.

Pretty cool, eh? We all had fun with this one. I think it’s definitely worth keeping it in mind for a rainy afternoon. Or just when you need a quick and easy activity for the kiddos.

By the way, if you want the technical explanation for why this works and what’s going on with the water, check out Steve Spangler Science .

3 More Favorite Simple Science Experiments for Kids

• The Rainbow Milk Science Experiment
• Make Painted Daisies
• Make a Baking Soda Volcano

P.S. Want even more science? Here’s my collection of The Best Kids Science Experiments to Try at Home .

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June 25, 2015

Measure Surface Tension with a Penny

A soapy science activity from Science Buddies

By Science Buddies

Learn about the secrets of soap in this surprising surface tension-testing activity!

George Retseck

Key concepts Chemistry Molecules Surface tension

Introduction Have you ever noticed on a rainy day how water forms droplets on a window? Why does it do that instead of spreading out evenly over the whole surface? You might not guess it but this property of water is also related to washing dishes and doing the laundry. How? It all has to do with something called surface tension. Try this activity to learn more!

Background You have probably noticed that if you look at a surface outside on a rainy day or spill some water inside, the liquid tends to form droplets that stick up from a surface instead of spreading out into an even sheet. This occurs because water is made up of many tiny molecules that are all attracted to one another. Molecules in the middle of a drop of water are pulled evenly in all directions by all the nearby molecules. Those near the droplet’s surface, however, are pulled mostly inward by the water molecules below them. This creates "surface tension." The surface of the water droplet is held together by the attraction between molecules.

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Now, think about washing dirty dishes or clothing. There will be lots of tiny little holes and cracks that water needs to get into to wash away dirt and grime, such as the spaces between the fibers of a shirt or between a plate and bits of dried food. In order for water to flow more easily into these small spaces, you need to decrease its surface tension. You can do this by adding soap, which is a surfactant (a material that decreases the surface tension of a liquid). In this activity you will see how soap decreases the surface tension of water by putting water droplets on top of a penny.

Medicine dropper or eyedropper

Glass, cup or small bowl

Dish towel or paper towel

Flat, level surface that can get wet, such as a kitchen counter

Paper and pencil or pen (optional)

Preparation

Place your penny on a flat, level surface that can get a little wet, such as a kitchen counter.

Fill a glass, cup or small bowl with tap water.

Fill the medicine dropper with water.

Now carefully add one drop of water at a time to the top of the penny. Hold the medicine dropper just above the top of the penny (not touching it) so each new drop has to fall a short distance before it merges with the drop on the penny. You can write down the number of drops you add if you like. How many drops of water do you think will fit on top of the penny? Watch the drop on top of the penny carefully as it grows. It should keep getting bigger and bigger until it touches the edges of the penny.

Keep adding drops (refill your medicine dropper as necessary) one at a time. How big does the drop on the penny get before it finally spills over the edges?

Once the drop spills over the penny’s edge, use a towel to completely dry off the penny and surrounding surface. How many drops of water were you able to add before the water ran over the penny’s sides?

Mix a small amount of dish soap with your tap water.

Now, repeat the experiment using soapy water. Do you think you will be able to add more drops or less before the liquid spills over the sides of the penny? Again, slowly add one drop at a time. How big does the drop of water on top of the penny get before it breaks and flows over the edges?

Extra : Try the experiment with different liquids or other things you can find in your kitchen. (Make sure you have an adult's approval to use any liquids before you handle them.) How do different soaps and detergents like hand soap or laundry detergent compare with one another? What about other liquids like milk or juice? Which ones make the biggest (or smallest) drops? With the most or least number of drops?

Extra : Try using something other than a penny to collect the droplets. What happens if you use different materials, such as the flat top of a small plastic bottle cap or a button?

[break] Observations and results You should find that plain tap water produces a much larger, stable drop of water on top of the penny than the soapy water does. This is because plain tap water has higher surface tension, so the surface is "stronger" and can hold together a larger drop. Adding soap lowers the water’s surface tension so the drop becomes weaker and breaks apart sooner. Making water molecules stick together less is what helps soaps clean dishes and clothes more easily.

More to explore Sticky Water , from Exploratorium Soap , from Exploratorium Measuring Surface Tension of Water with a Penny , from Science Buddies Surface Tension Science: Build a Raft Powered by Soap , from Scientific American Science Activities for All Ages! , from Science Buddies

This activity brought to you in partnership with Science Buddies

The Science Kiddo

Tuesday, january 20, 2015, surface tension | drops of water on a coin + free printable.

• Set the coin on a flat surface.
• Fill a plastic pipette with water.
• Carefully squeeze out water drop by drop from the pipette onto the coin. Count how many drops fit on the coin before the dome breaks and the water spills over.
• Keep track of your results on this free printable table ! There is room to do three trials for each coin so you can average the trials together to see which coin holds the most water!

32 comments:

This is fun! Going to do it with my kids later today! Thank you for sharing it with us #pintorials

AWESOME! Have so much fun :)

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This is an awesome experiment! What fun! I love fun and easy experiments. I am definitely sharing this on my STEM board. Thanks so much for sharing!

Thank you for stopping by and for sharing!!

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Thank you so much, I am so honored! And I was so touched by what you said on the featured article about hands-on activities and my website :) I love stopping by the Hip Homeschool Hop every week to see what is new.

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How Many Drops of Water Can Fit on a Penny Surface Tension Experiment

Surface tension is a force that pulls together the outermost molecules of a liquid.

It makes water form tiny beads on a leaf and hold a raindrop in the air.

It is also why bubbles can form and then burst.

Here’s a STEM challenge .

This challenge is to see how many drops of water will fit on a penny without spilling.

Besides penny, you may use a dime or quarter.

See who can put the most drops of water on the coin without spilling.

Here is a STEM challenge for you: How many drops of water can you put on a penny?

• a dropper or pipette
• adult supervision

Instructions

• Repeat the experiment using different types of liquid, such as cooking oil, water with dish washing liquid added, liquid sunscreen, etc.
• Pay attention to the shape of the liquid puddle and keep count of the number of drops you can put before it spills over.

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Water molecules attract each other and tend to stick together.

This cohesion property results in surface tension .

Because water molecules at the surface of the water puddle attract more to one other than they do to the air molecules above them, they cling together and form a dome shape on the coin.

Surface tension prevents the water molecules from falling out and spilling.

You can keep adding water drops until the surface tension is not strong enough to counter the gravitational pull on the water.

In the exploration part of the experiment, you see that the sizes of drops coming out of the dropper are different for different types of liquid.

That is because the molecules in each liquid are attracted to one another to a different degree.

So the surface tension of each liquid is different. The number of drops you can put on a coin without spilling is also different.

More Surface Tension Water Experiments

Surface tension is one of many interesting properties of water . Check out these other experiments on water properties .

Here are three science kits to help you explore more these amazing properties of water .

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