Time Required Short (2-5 days)

Prerequisites None
Material Availability Readily available
Cost Very Low (under $20)
Safety No issues.

Abstract
Have you ever wondered why a water strider can walk on water? Or how detergent can clean your
dishes? If you observe carefully, you can find dozens of similarly interesting phenomena that are all linked
to the surface tension of water. In this science project, you will investigate the properties of water surface
tension.

Objective
Investigate how a small raft made from a clear plastic sheet can be propelled by water surface tension.

Introduction
If you have ever blown up a balloon, you know it is pretty easy to blow up without becoming out of breath
when it is made of soft, stretchy rubber. That is because the balloon offers little resistance to becoming
stretched out as it is blown up. But for a balloon made of thicker or stiffer rubber, more energy is required
to blow it up. The balloon offers more resistance to stretching. Think of a balloon as a model for surface
tension. How "stretchy" the balloon material is determines how much resistance (surface tension) must be
overcome by the energy of your blowing in order to inflate the balloon. Surface tension is defined as the
energy required to increase the surface area by a unit amount.

Liquids also experience surface tension. The molecules (small individual particles) of the liquid
experience intermolecular attractions, or cohesive forces, which simply means the molecules are pulling
and pushing away from each other, just like magnets both attract and repel each other. In the case of a
water molecule surrounded on all sides by other water molecules, every pulling force is balanced by a
pushing force. The net (which means overall) effect is no change. But at the surface, where air and water
meet, that is not true. The water molecules at the surface experience more pulls downward toward the
other water molecules below them than upward toward the air. This is the surface tension of the water.
You can see it at work when you fill a glass. Even if the water is at the rim of the glass, you can add just a
few more drops so that the water is slightly taller than the rim. Do not believe it? Look at Figure 1 and
then try it yourself!
 Figure 1. Because of surface tension, the top of this full glass of water curves outward. If more water is
added, it will eventually spill over the side of the glass. Note the edge of the glass, and how far the water
curves over it.

What can lower the surface tension of water? Water molecules like to interact with each other because
they are polar molecules, meaning they have positively and negatively charged sides. Similarly to a
group of magnets, the water molecules arrange themselves so that the positive sides are away from each
other, but can interact with the negative sides. Other polar molecules also like to interact with water
molecules. Molecules like this that interact with, and are dissolved by, water are
called hydrophilic molecules. There are also molecules that do not like to interact with water. They
are hydrophobic. What does this have to do with surface tension? If a molecule that has both hydrophilic
and hydrophobic parts is added to water, the hydrophilic end will try to get close to the water molecules
while the hydrophobic end will push away from the water. This pulling and pushing separates the water
molecules from each other and decreases the surface tension because of this. Compounds that lower the
surface tension of water are known as surfactants.

In this physics science project, you will make a small raft from a clear plastic sheet (a transparency), and
see if you can propel it by taking advantage of the surface tension of water.

Terms and Concepts

Resistance

Surface tension

Molecule

Cohesive forces

Polar molecules

Hydrophilic
 Surfactants

Materials and Equipment

Kitchen sponges (2)

Scissors

Ruler, metric

Transparencies, like those used on an overhead projector (2); available at your local office supply
store

Marker

Toothpicks (1 box)

Tape

Large basin or sink

o It should be large enough that the raft can travel a short distance within it.

o Make sure it can be easily emptied, as you will be filling and re-filling it with fresh water
often.

Water

Eye dropper; available at your local pharmacy

Liquid laundry detergent

Other substances to test their affect on water surface tension (try at least four):

o Liquid hand soap

o Toothpaste

o Vegetable oil

o Table salt

o Corn starch, vinegar, or any other substances you want to test

Lab notebook
Experimental Procedure
Exploring the Existence of Surface Tension

1. Cut the sponge into at least 10 small, identically sized pieces.

a. We recommend cutting the sponge into pieces that are about 1.5 centimeters (cm) by 1.5
cm.

b. The sponge will fit into a space cut in the back of the raft, as shown in Figure 2.

2. Think of a shape for your raft and draw the shape onto the transparency. An example raft design
is shown in Figure 2.

a. The raft should be symmetric.

b. The raft should be small enough that it can travel a short distance in your basin or sink,
but still be large enough to hold the sponge piece.

1. We suggest an initial size of 7-13 centimeters (cm) long, and a width that is
approximately half of the length you choose.

2. Record the size of your raft in your lab notebook.

c. You will need to cut a space in the back of the raft where the sponge will be. It should be
slightly larger than one of the sponge pieces.

1. For example, if you made the sponge pieces 1.5 cm by 1.5 cm, you can cut the
space out to be about 2 cm by 2 cm.

Figure 2. Example of a raft design. Note the way in which the small piece of sponge is attached to the
transparency to prevent it from moving and sinking.

3. Cut out the raft.

 4. Run a toothpick horizontally through one of the small sponge pieces so enough of the two ends of
the toothpick can rest on the transparency, then attach the toothpick ends with tape so that the
sponge is attached to the small space at the back of the raft, as shown in Figure 2.

5. Fill a large basin or sink with tap water.

6. Put the raft onto the water surface and let it float.

7. Using an eye dropper, put a drop of liquid laundry detergent onto the sponge at the end of the
raft.

a. If one drop is not enough, put one or two more. The raft does not require much detergent
to start moving.

8. Observe the motion. Record all observations in your lab notebook.

9. Empty the basin or sink. Also rinse the raft, especially the sponge piece, to get all of the detergent
off of it.

a. Note: The basin or sink needs to be emptied because the water will have too much
detergent in it for its surface tension to change if more detergent is added.

10. Repeat steps 5-9 with the same raft and sponge at least two more times. This will help you
determine if what you originally observed is a fluke or a real trend.

11. From your background research, you should know that detergents decrease the surface tension
of water. How can this help to explain your results?

Exploring Other Substances as Surface-Tension "Motors" for Your Raft

1. In your lab notebook, make a data table like Table 1 with the substances you will be testing. You
will be recording your observations in the data table.

2. Replace the sponge on the raft with a fresh sponge.

3. Fill up the basin or sink with fresh water.

4. Put the raft onto the water surface and let it float.

5. Put a drop of liquid hand soap onto the sponge at the end of the raft.

a. Tip: You could carefully pump one drop, or unscrew the pump lid and let one drop fall
from the tube that is attached to the pump onto the sponge.

6. Observe the motion and compare it to the first raft, which used detergent. Does the raft still
move? Does it move faster or slower than the first raft? Record your observations in your data
table.
bstance Used Did the Raft Move? Yes/No Fastest Speed? Yes/No Good or Bad Motor? How Did It Affect Water's Surface Te

aundry detergent
ft)

and soap

aste

le oil

lt

Table 1. In your lab notebook, make a data table like this one to record your observations in.

7. Empty the basin or sink. Also rinse the raft, especially the sponge piece, to get all of the detergent
off of it.

8. Repeat steps 3-7 two more times.

a. This way you will have three trials for each substance you test. This will ensure your
results are accurate and repeatable. Record all results in your data table.

9. Repeat steps 2-8 using a difference substance until you have tested all of the substances you
want to (try at least four). You can try all sorts of substances: toothpaste, vegetable oil, table salt,
corn starch, even vinegar! Try out anything that you think might move the raft.

a. To avoid introducing extra variables, make sure that you use the same raft for every test.

b. Make sure to replace the water with new water for every test and thoroughly rinse out the
sponge.

c. Between testing different substances, rinse out the eye dropper.

d. Tip: If you want to test toothpaste, use a toothpick to put it on the sponge and make sure
you arrange it so that the toothpaste contacts the surface of the water, such as by putting
some toothpaste on the back side of the sponge.
 e. Tip: If you want to test table salt, put a small dash of it on the sponge piece. Then add
about 5 drops of water to help the salt dissolve.

10. Which substances worked as a "motor"? Which ones did not? Which substance was the best
motor? Can you relate your findings back to surface tension?

a. Finish filling in your data table.

Exploring the Effect of Shape on the Motion of Your Raft

1. Now test different raft shapes. Design other raft shapes and draw the shapes onto the
transparency.

a. Try at least four different shapes.

b. You might want to experiment with different sizes, or different basic shapes.

1. For example, you could try testing a large square, a small square, a large circle,
and a small circle.

2. Cut out the rafts, leaving a space for a small piece of sponge at one end of the raft as you did
before.

3. For each raft, attach the sponge at the end of the raft as you did before.

4. In your lab notebook, make a data table like Table 2. You will be recording the measurements of
your rafts in this data table.

a. In your data table, record the shape and size of the rafts you just made.

5. Prepare fresh water in the basin or sink.

6. Put one of the rafts onto the water surface and let it float.

7. Put one drop of the substance that worked best in the previous section onto the sponge at the
end of the raft.

8. Observe the motion. Did the raft move? Record your observations in your data table.

hape Raft Size Did the Raft Move? Yes/No Fastest Speed? Yes/No Why Did the Raft's Shape and Size Cause This Mo

quare

quare
hape Raft Size Did the Raft Move? Yes/No Fastest Speed? Yes/No Why Did the Raft's Shape and Size Cause This Mo

rcle

rcle

Table 2. In your lab notebook, create a data table like this one to record your results in.

9. Empty the basin or sink. Also rinse the raft, especially the sponge piece, to get all of the
substance off of it.

10. Repeat steps 5-9 two more times to make sure you are seeing a real trend rather than a fluke.

11. Repeat steps 5-10 using the other rafts you designed in step 1 until you have tested all of them.

12. Which shape and size rafts moved? Which raft was the fastest? Why do you think the raft's shape
and size caused this motion? Can you relate your findings back to surface tension?

a. Finish filling in your data table.