viscosity races investigating the flow of liquids experiment

Cool Science Experiments Headquarters

Making Science Fun, Easy to Teach and Exciting to Learn!

Science Experiments

Viscosity of Liquids Science Experiment

Viscosity? If you’ve never heard this word before you might think it’s a new brand of kitchen cleaner! But of course, if it’s not a kitchen cleaner, what in the world is it?

We’ll help define viscosity in our easy to understand explanation of how it works below, but the goal of this experiment is to help kids ‘see’ viscosity in action.

Collect your materials, print out our detailed instructions, and watch our demonstration video to explore how the consistency of a liquid impacts objects.

JUMP TO SECTION: Instructions | Video Tutorial | How it Works

Supplies Needed

• 4 clear glass jars of the same size (we used pint-sized mason jars)
• Water (enough to fill one jar)
• Corn Syrup (enough to fill one jar)
• Cooking Oil (enough to fill one jar) We used Vegetable Oil, but any Cooking Oil will work.
• Honey (enough to fill one jar)

Viscosity of Liquids Science Lab Kit – Only $5

Use our easy Viscosity of Liquids Science Lab Kit to grab your students’ attention without the stress of planning!

It’s everything you need to  make science easy for teachers and fun for students  — using inexpensive materials you probably already have in your storage closet!

Viscosity of Liquids Science Experiment Instructions

Step 1 – Gather four clear glass jars and fill one with water, one with corn syrup, one with cooking oil (we used vegetable oil, but any cooking oil will work) and one with honey.

As you are pouring the liquids, take a moment to make observations. What do you notice as you pour the water into the glass? What about the corn syrup, the cooking oil and the honey? Did you notice anything different?

Do you think the liquid will impact what happens when a marble is placed into each jar? What do you think will happen? Write down your hypothesis (prediction) and then continue the experiment to test it out and to find out if you were correct.

Step 2 – Carefully drop one marble into each jar. Drop one marble at a time and observe what happens to the marble when it enters the liquid. You’ll notice right away that the marble behaves differently in each jar. Was your hypothesis correct? Do you know why some marbles sink to the bottom of the jar quickly and some marbles sink to the bottle of the jar slowly?

Find out the answer in the how does this experiment work section below. It also contains ideas on how you can expand on the experiment.

Viscosity of Liquids Science Experiment Video Tutorial

How Does the Science Experiment Work?

The question answered in this experiment is: how does the consistency of a liquid impact how long it will take for a marble to sink in a jar of that liquid? A unique property of liquids is something called viscosity.

Viscosity is a liquid’s resistance to flowing.

Viscosity depends on the size and shape of the particles that make the liquid, as well as the attraction between the particles. Liquids that have a LOW viscosity flow quickly (ie. water, rubbing alcohol, and vegetable oil). Liquids that have a HIGH viscosity flow slowly (ie. honey, corn syrup, and molasses). Viscosity can also be thought of as a measure of how “thick” a liquid is. The more viscous (or thick) a liquid is, the longer it will take for an object to move through the liquid.

In our experiment, the marbles took longer to sink when dropped into the jars filled with corn syrup and honey than they did when dropped into the jars filled with water and cooking oil. Therefore, we’ve shown that corn syrup and honey have a higher viscosity (or are more viscous) than water and cooking oil.

More Science Fun

• How long will it take? Expand on the experiment, by estimating how long it will take for the marble to sink to the bottom of the jar? Then set a timer and find out how close your estimate was. Tip: Timing the marble, works best when using liquids that have a high viscosity (ie. honey, corn syrup, and molasses).
• The Pouring Test – When you are finished dropping the marbles into the jars, try pouring the liquids one at a time into another jar. You will notice that it takes longer to pour out the Corn Syrup and Honey than it does to pour out the Water and Cooking Oil. This is because the viscosity of a liquid can also be observed by how slow (or fast) it takes to pour the liquid.
• How Does the Consistency of a Liquid Impact Magnetic Attraction – This experiment shows how the viscosity of a liquid impacts how fast (or slow) the objects move toward a magnet.

I hope you enjoyed the experiment. Here are some printable instructions:

Viscosity of a Liquid Experiment Science Experiment

• 4 clear glass jars of the same size (we used pint sized mason jars)
• Cooking Oil (enough to fill one jar)

Instructions

• Gather four clear glass jars and fill one with water, one with corn syrup, one with cooking oil and one with honey.
• Carefully drop one marble into each jar. Drop one marble at a time and observe what happens to the marble when it enters the liquid. Which marbles sink to the bottom of the jar quickly and which marbles sink to the bottle of the jar slowly.

Reader Interactions

December 13, 2017 at 5:00 pm

The honey and corn syrup has a higher density than the water and oil because ther are more particals in a certain amount of space making it slower for the marball to sink to the bottom.

April 28, 2019 at 1:51 pm

Some liquids are less dense. Some liquids are more dense. The denser liquids make the marbles flow slower. The less dense liquids (water and oil) make the marbles flow faster. The more dense liquids (honey and corn syrup) make the marbles flow slower.

September 17, 2019 at 7:37 am

Viscosity is a measure of a fluid’s resistance to flow. It describes the internal friction of a moving fluid. A fluid with large viscosity resists motion because its molecular makeup gives it a lot of internal friction. A fluid with low viscosity flows easily because its molecular makeup results in very little friction when it is in motion…… So it is to do with the size and shape of the molecule rather than the density. If you heat up a liquid the density will change slightly but the viscosity will change a lot.

August 22, 2020 at 12:33 am

Honey is much thicker than oil, so the process is a little slower than the marble goes to the bottom of the honey.

Leave a Reply Cancel reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

Save my name, email, and website in this browser for the next time I comment.

• Privacy Policy
• Disclosure Policy

Copyright © 2024 · Cool Science Experiments HQ

• Virtual Science Fair

Viscosity Races

Have science fun as a family! Complete activities with parental supervision.

• A long piece of cardboard (at least 2 feet long)
• Plastic wrap or aluminum foil
• Assorted household liquids or sauces
• Permanent marker
• A ruler or straight edge
• Paper towels, newspaper or a tray to catch any drips
• Grape Jelly
• Shaving cream
• It is important to start this activity on a flat surface. It can be messy, so make sure to do this somewhere that is easily cleaned, like on a table.
• Take the piece of cardboard and wrap it in the plastic wrap or aluminum foil. This step isn’t necessary, but it will allow you to reuse your cardboard for multiple races.
• Using the straight edge and the permanent marker, make a starting line at one end of the cardboard about 2 inches from the edge of the cardboard.
• On the opposite side of the cardboard, lay down paper towels, newspaper or a tray to catch any potential spills.
• Make observations about the different liquids. How are they different? How are they the same? How do they flow?
• Make a prediction as to how fast the liquids will go. Rank them from fastest to slowest.
• With the cardboard piece lying flat, squirt a quarter-size amount of each of the liquids/sauces on the starting line.
• Lift the cardboard on the side with the starting line to create a ramp. Watch those sauces slide!
• How did the results compare with your prediction?
• If you want to try more liquids, wipe off your ramp or take off the plastic wrap/foil and try it again.
• Be sure to take a picture or video to share in the Facebook comments on the Buffalo Museum of Science or Tifft Nature Preserve pages!

What’s it all about?

Have you ever noticed that some things are hard to mix up? Or that things like ketchup are really hard to get out of a bottle? It’s all about viscosity—a liquid’s resistance to flow. If a liquid is thicker and hard to stir up, it has a high viscosity.

For scientists that study volcanoes (volcanologists), viscosity is very important. Thin, less viscous lava can flow like rivers. But thick, more viscous lava can be explosive!

There are some other factors that could have influenced your experiment. Did all of the liquids weigh the same? Did they take up the same amount of space? Brainstorm ways to redesign the experiment to make it as far as possible!

More Great Virtual Science Fair Activities

Underwater Fireworks

We're celebrating the summer solstice in this Virtual Science Fair activity! Open Activity

Elephant Toothpaste

This activity is a classic. It looks like toothpaste, but it is not - it's a chemical reaction! Open Activity

Heat Up, Cool Down

Grab a thermometer for this Virtual Science Fair activity! Open Activity

DIY Mini Golf

Believe it or not, mini golf is all about math and physics. Shoot for a hole in one in this Virtual Science Fair activity! Open Activity

Breathing Leaves

We're saying "Thank You" to a plant in this Virtual Science Fair activity! Open Activity

Join our Newsletter

The programs of the Buffalo Society of Natural Sciences are supported in part by public funds from the County of Erie; City of Buffalo; New York State Office of Parks, Recreation and Historic Preservation; and our members and friends. You are inspiring and we are most grateful.

About the Museum

• About Us & History
• Contact the BMS
• Visiting the BMS
• BMS Events Calendar
• Job Opportunities
• Privacy Policy

About Tifft

• About Tifft Nature Preserve
• Plan a Visit to Tifft
• Tifft Events Calendar

Museum Hours

• Monday to Sunday 10 a.m. – 4 p.m.

General Admission

• $19 | Adults
• $16 | Children 2-17
• $16 | Seniors 62+
• $16 | Students/Military with ID
• FREE | Museum Members
• FREE | Children under 2

© 2024 Buffalo Museum of Science. All Rights Reserved. Privacy Policy

• Reserve admission
• Museum Maps
• Birthday Parties
• BubbleFEST presented by Five Star Bank
• Biodiversity
• Buffalo In Space
• Explore YOU
• Kellogg Observatory
• Our Marvelous Earth
• Planetarium
• Rethink Extinct
• Seymour and Stanley
• Discovery Camps
• Science After Hours
• Conversations in Science
• Science at Home
• Gift Memberships
• Membership FAQ
• Field Trips
• Science on Wheels Outreach Programs
• Request a Program
• Ways to Give
• Philanthropy Circle
• Become a Sponsor
• Sixteen Stories
• Annual Report
• Mission, Vision and Values
• Diversity and Equity Work Group
• Decolonizing Initiatives
• Cancellation and Refund Policy

1020 Humboldt Parkway Buffalo, New York 14211

(716) 896-5200.

Core Practical 4: Investigating Viscosity ( Edexcel A Level Physics )

Revision note.

Core Practical 4: Investigating Viscosity of a Liquid

Aim of the experiment.

• By allowing small spherical objects of known weight to fall through a fluid until they reach terminal velocity, the viscosity of the fluid can be calculated
• Independent variable : weight of ball bearing, W s
• Dependent variable : terminal velocity, v term
• fluid being tested, 
• temperature

Equipment List

• Long measuring cylinder
• Viscous liquid to be tested (thin oil of known density or washing up liquid)
• Stand and clamp
• Rubber bands
• Steel ball bearings of different weights
• Digital scales
• Vernier calipers
• Digital stopwatch

• Weigh the balls, measure their radius using Vernier callipers and calculate their density
• Place three rubber bands around the tube. The highest should be far enough below the surface of the liquid to ensure the ball is travelling at terminal velocity when it reaches this band. The remaining two bands should be 10 – 15 cm apart so that time can be measured accurately
• If lap timing is not available, two stopwatches operated by different people should be used
• If the ball is still accelerating as it passes the markers, they need to be moved downwards until the ball has reached terminal velocity before passing the first mark
• Measure and record the distances d 1 (between the highest and middle rubber band) and d 2 between the highest and lowest bands.
• Repeat at least three times for balls of this diameter and three times for each different diameter
• Ball bearings are removed from the bottom of the tube using the magnet against the outside wall of the measuring cylinder

Table of Results:

• Terminal velocity is used in this investigation since at terminal velocity the forces in each direction are balanced
• W s = weight of the sphere
• F d = the drag force (N)
• U = upthrust (N)
• The weight of the sphere is found using volume, density and gravitational force
• v s = volume of the sphere (m 3 )
• ρ s = density of the sphere (kg m –3 )
• g = gravitational force (N kg −1 )
• Recall Stoke’s Law
• The volume of displaced fluid is the same as the volume of the sphere
• The weight of the fluid is found from volume, density and gravitational force as above
• Substitute equations 2, 3 and 4 into equation 1
• Rearrange to make viscosity the subject of the equation

Evaluating the Experiment

Systematic Errors :

• Ruler must be clamped vertically and close to the tube to avoid parallax errors in measurement
• Ball bearing must reach terminal velocity before the first marker

Random errors :

• Cylinder must have a large diameter compared to the ball bearing to avoid the possibility of turbulent flow
• Ball must fall in the centre of the tube to avoid pressure differences caused by being too close to the wall which will affect the velocity

Safety Considerations

• Measuring cylinders are not stable and should be clamped into position at the top and bottom
• Spillages will be slippery and must be cleaned up immediately
• Avoid getting fluids in the eyes

You've read 0 of your 10 free revision notes

Get unlimited access.

to absolutely everything:

• Downloadable PDFs
• Unlimited Revision Notes
• Topic Questions
• Past Papers
• Model Answers
• Videos (Maths and Science)

Join the 100,000 + Students that ❤️ Save My Exams

the (exam) results speak for themselves:

Did this page help you?

Author: Lindsay Gilmour

Lindsay graduated with First Class Honours from the University of Greenwich and earned her Science Communication MSc at Imperial College London. Now with many years’ experience as a Head of Physics and Examiner for A Level and IGCSE Physics (and Biology!), her love of communicating, educating and Physics has brought her to Save My Exams where she hopes to help as many students as possible on their next steps.

Your browser is not supported

Sorry but it looks as if your browser is out of date. To get the best experience using our site we recommend that you upgrade or switch browsers.

Find a solution

• Skip to main content
• Skip to navigation

• Back to parent navigation item
• Primary teacher
• Secondary/FE teacher
• Early career or student teacher
• Higher education
• Curriculum support
• Literacy in science teaching
• Periodic table
• Interactive periodic table
• Climate change and sustainability
• Resources shop
• Collections
• Remote teaching support
• Starters for ten
• Screen experiments
• Assessment for learning
• Microscale chemistry
• Faces of chemistry
• Classic chemistry experiments
• Nuffield practical collection
• Anecdotes for chemistry teachers
• On this day in chemistry
• Global experiments
• PhET interactive simulations
• Chemistry vignettes
• Context and problem based learning
• Journal of the month
• Chemistry and art
• Art analysis
• Pigments and colours
• Ancient art: today's technology
• Psychology and art theory
• Art and archaeology
• Artists as chemists
• The physics of restoration and conservation
• Ancient Egyptian art
• Ancient Greek art
• Ancient Roman art
• Classic chemistry demonstrations
• In search of solutions
• In search of more solutions
• Creative problem-solving in chemistry
• Solar spark
• Chemistry for non-specialists
• Health and safety in higher education
• Analytical chemistry introductions
• Exhibition chemistry
• Introductory maths for higher education
• Commercial skills for chemists
• Kitchen chemistry
• Journals how to guides
• Chemistry in health
• Chemistry in sport
• Chemistry in your cupboard
• Chocolate chemistry
• Adnoddau addysgu cemeg Cymraeg
• The chemistry of fireworks
• Festive chemistry
• Education in Chemistry
• Teach Chemistry
• On-demand online
• Live online
• Selected PD articles
• PD for primary teachers
• PD for secondary teachers
• What we offer
• Chartered Science Teacher (CSciTeach)
• Teacher mentoring
• UK Chemistry Olympiad
• Who can enter?
• How does it work?
• Resources and past papers
• Top of the Bench
• Schools' Analyst
• Regional support
• Education coordinators
• RSC Yusuf Hamied Inspirational Science Programme
• RSC Education News
• Supporting teacher training
• Interest groups

• More navigation items
• No comments

Discover and compare the viscosity of different liquids, from oil to water.

The viscosity of a liquid is another term for the thickness of a liquid. Thick treacle-like liquids are viscous; runny liquids like water are less viscous.

This experiment should take 20 minutes. 

• Eye protection, if desired
• Sealed tubes of different liquids (thermometer packing tubes are ideal)

Choose from:

• Cooking oil
• Washing up liquid
• Shampoo or bubble bath

Health, safety and technical notes

• Read our standard health and safety guidance .
• Wear eye protection if desired.
• Ethanol is highly flammable, see CLEAPSS Hazcard HC040a .
• Take one of the tubes provided.
• Ensure the bubble is at the top and the tube is held vertical.
• Quickly invert the tube and measure the time it takes for the bubble to reach the top.
• Repeat this measurement for all the samples
• Complete a table, as shown below.

Remind students to time each liquid using a consistent method – eg measure the time from inversion until the ‘bubble first hits the top’. 

• Which liquid is the most viscous?
• Which liquid is the least viscous?
• Design a different experiment for comparing the viscosity of liquids.

Viscosity - teacher notes

Viscosity - student sheet, additional information.

This practical is part of our  Classic chemistry experiments  collection.

• 11-14 years
• 14-16 years
• 16-18 years
• Practical experiments
• Properties of matter

Specification

• Boiling points, melting points, viscosity and solubility/miscibility in water are properties of substances that are affected by hydrogen bonding.
• 2. Develop and use models to describe the nature of matter; demonstrate how they provide a simple way to to account for the conservation of mass, changes of state, physical change, chemical change, mixtures, and their separation.

Related articles

Particle diagrams | Structure strip | 14–16

By Kristy Turner

Support learners to describe and evaluate the particle model for solids, liquids and gases with this writing activity

Illustrate polymer properties with a self-siphoning solution

2024-04-22T05:38:00Z By Declan Fleming

Demonstrate the tubeless siphon with poly(ethylene glycol) and highlight the polymer’s viscoelasticity to your 11–16 learners

Revealing blueberries’ nanostructure

2024-03-22T11:00:00Z By Nina Notman

Find out how microscopic, self-assembling particles give blueberries their characteristic blue hue

No comments yet

Only registered users can comment on this article., more experiments.

‘Gold’ coins on a microscale | 14–16 years

By Dorothy Warren and Sandrine Bouchelkia

Practical experiment where learners produce ‘gold’ coins by electroplating a copper coin with zinc, includes follow-up worksheet

Practical potions microscale | 11–14 years

By Kirsty Patterson

Observe chemical changes in this microscale experiment with a spooky twist.

Antibacterial properties of the halogens | 14–18 years

Use this practical to investigate how solutions of the halogens inhibit the growth of bacteria and which is most effective

• Contributors
• Email alerts

Site powered by Webvision Cloud

FREE K-12 standards-aligned STEM

curriculum for educators everywhere!

Find more at TeachEngineering.org .

• TeachEngineering
• Viscosity: The Flow of Milk

Hands-on Activity Viscosity: The Flow of Milk

Grade Level: 7 (6-8)

Time Required: 45 minutes

Expendable Cost/Group: US $2.00

Group Size: 3

Activity Dependency: None

Subject Areas: Biology, Chemistry

TE Newsletter

Engineering connection, learning objectives, materials list, worksheets and attachments, more curriculum like this, pre-req knowledge, introduction/motivation, vocabulary/definitions, user comments & tips.

Engineers commonly design equipment or devices that requires them to take into consideration the viscosity of particular fluids. Chemical engineers design chemicals of very different viscosities(ranging from rubber to petroleum to alcohols and aqueous solutions) and all their processes and reactions must take into account the flow rate of these substances. In the design of artificial heart valves and vascular stents, biomedical engineers must have an intimate knowledge of the flow rate and properties of blood when it flows through arteries and veins in order to design devices that function correctly. Mechanical engineers who design combustion engines consider the liquid flow rate of oils, petroleums and fuels under different conditions. Understanding the relationship between viscosity and flow rate are essential in any engineering process involving liquids!

After this activity, students should be able to:

• Explain the reasoning behind the varying flow rates of milks with various fat content.
• Describe the relationship between viscosity and flow rate, and extrapolate information from it.
• Explain the importance of viscosity consideration in scientific use and engineering applications.
• Collect and analyze data from an experimental set-up.
• Identify dependent and independent variables in an experiment.

Educational Standards Each TeachEngineering lesson or activity is correlated to one or more K-12 science, technology, engineering or math (STEM) educational standards. All 100,000+ K-12 STEM standards covered in TeachEngineering are collected, maintained and packaged by the Achievement Standards Network (ASN) , a project of D2L (www.achievementstandards.org). In the ASN, standards are hierarchically structured: first by source; e.g. , by state; within source by type; e.g. , science or mathematics; within type by subtype, then by grade, etc .

Ngss: next generation science standards - science.

View aligned curriculum

Do you agree with this alignment? Thanks for your feedback!

Common Core State Standards - Math

International technology and engineering educators association - technology, state standards, new york - math.

Each group needs:

• 1 2-ml column
• 5 test tubes
• 5 prepared samples of milk in beakers
• skim milk (non-fat)
• 1% milk (low-fat)
• 2% milk (reduced-fat)
• heavy cream
• whole milk (control sample)
• 1 funnel or pipette
• 1 beaker/bowl (to collect the liquid)
• markers or colored pencils
• Milk Race: Investigating Viscosity Worksheet , one per student

Know how to collect data and make scientific graphs from data, how fluids act and that their functionalities may vary based on their chemical/ physical nature.

Have you ever really looked at all the items at your home? You probably have 100s of different fluids. Which ones come to mind? (Listen to student ideas.) Think of water, shampoo, mouthwash, sodas, milk, chicken broth, orange juice, ketchup, oils, lotion, vinegar, anti-freeze, window cleaner, and the list goes on.

What do all these different solutions have in common and why we are talking about them? Well, all these solutions may exist as either a homogenous (uniform solution) or heterogeneous (assorted mixture solution) and they all have a flow associated with them. Not all fluids flow at the same rate; some may come out of a container very quickly, while others may take some time to empty out. Many different factors can govern how fast a fluid flows including the chemical properties of the solution such as the types of chemical bonds that the solution is comprised of, the homogeneity/ heterogeneity and thickness of the solution. Can anyone think of a fluid that flows very quickly? (Possible answers: Water, soda, juice.) Can anyone think of a fluid that flows very slowly? (Possible answers: Honey, cream, oil.)

Let's think about milk. What kind of milk do you drink? (Possible answers: Whole, skim, 1%, 2%, fat-free, soy, almond, heavy cream.) Have you ever noticed that some types of milk are thicker than others? Do you think that contributes to how fast it flows out of a container?

Today, we're going to do an experiment that takes a look at how fast different types of milk flow. Before we start, you're going to make a hypothesis on which type of milk will flow the fastest and which type of milk will flow the slowest. Once you have those predictions in your notebook, we can start the milk race!

The chemistry of fluids and solutions is an important and sometimes difficult concept for students to grasp because solutions have properties that are usually not tangible or visible. It helps students to fully understand fluids and fluid dynamics if they can experiment and make a mess with solutions. One can easily pour a solution on a table and see how fast it flows just by how fast it moves across the table.The movement of the solution across a table can vary depending on the nature of the solution and the environment surrounding the solution. Today, scientists and engineers characterize the properties of liquid solutions via viscometer, rheometer and even contact angle measurements. Therefore, it is advantageous to teach young scientists and engineers about liquids because they are all around us and students may someday have a job in which they need to characterize fluids.

• Divide the class into groups of two to four students. Collect test tubes of milk samples consisting of one known/control sample (whole milk) and four unknown samples (skim milk, 1% milk, 2% milk, and heavy cream).
• Using a funnel or pipette, pour the first sample (whole milk) through the capped column.
• When ready, un-cap the column, start the timer, and count the number of drops that drip out of the column during a one-minute period.
• Repeat step 3 three times to obtain an average # of drops per minute (flow rate).
• Repeat steps 2-4 for the unknown samples.
• Using your graph, order the test tubes from highest flow rate to lowest flow rate.

contact angle: The angle at which a liquid/gas meets a solid surface.

flow: The distance traveled by a fluid through a confined space per unit of time.

fluid: A substance that has no fixed shape and yields to external pressure. For example, a liquid.

heterogeneous: When a sample is made of many different materials that are not uniform in solution.

homogenous: When a sample is uniform in composition.

rheometer: An instrument for measuring the rheological, or deformation and flow of matter, properties of a substance.

solute: The small amount of chemical or solution that is being dissolved in the large amount of solution.

solution: A chemical mixture comprised of a solute and solvent.

solvent: The large amount of solution that is dissolving the solute.

viscometer: An instrument for measuring viscosity of liquids.

viscosity: A fluid's internal resistance to shear in a defined environment.

Pre-Activity Assessment

Comprehension Questions: Ask the students:

• What is viscosity? (Answer: Viscosity is a fluid's internal resistance to shear in a defined environment.)
• How might the differences in viscosity affect how fast a liquid flows out of a container? (Answer: The higher the viscosity, the slower the liquid flows out of a container. The lower the viscosity, the faster the liquid flows out of a container.)
• What are the components of milk and cream? What types of molecules are found in these liquids? (Answer: The components of milk and cream include a variety of proteins, lipid molecules, water, dissolved carbohydrates, vitamins and inorganic minerals. Three main types of biomolecules are found in milk: carbohydrates, proteins and lipids.)
• What does the percentage of fat content in milk and cream refer to? What does it tell us about the chemistry of the solution? (Answer: The percentage of fat content in milk and cream refers to the proportion of milk [or cream] by weight that is made up of butterfat. Cream usually has fat concentrations in the range of 25–40%, while milk is 0–4% milkfat. The fat content indicates differences in the chemical properties of the solution, such as the viscosity. In general, as we have seen in this activity, the higher the fat content, the higher the viscosity.)

Activity Embedded Assessment

Activity Engagement: Walk around the room to make sure groups order the test tubes in accordance with their calculated flow rates. Make sure that measurements for each sample are performed three times, in order to obtain a better statistical average.

Post-Activity Assessment

Activity Reflection: Ask students the following questions> Answers are provided in the Milk Race: Investigating Viscosity Worksheet Answer Key .

• What are the dependent and independent variables in this experiment?
• How were you able to identify the unknown liquids?
• Was your hypothesis correct?
• What can you say about the relationship between viscosity and the flow rate of a liquid?
• What do properties like viscosity and flow rate have to do with the chemistry of a particular liquid?
• How do different concentrations of fat in milk/cream affect their viscosity and flow rate through a column?
• When would researchers or engineers want to use liquids of high viscosities? low viscosities?

Home Search: List five examples of liquids you find at home that have high viscosities and five that have low viscosities. Bonus points for items that no other students mention.

tudents are introduced to the similarities and differences in the behaviors of elastic solids and viscous fluids. In addition, fluid material properties such as viscosity are introduced, along with the methods that engineers use to determine those physical properties.

While learning about volcanoes, magma and lava flows, students learn about the properties of liquid movement, coming to understand viscosity and other factors that increase and decrease liquid flow. They also learn about lava composition and its risk to human settlements.

The upthrust always acts on an object immersed in a fluid even though it may not be moving, because the fluid around the object is displaced. When entering a pool, people feel lighter, this is due to the upthrust, counteracting the weight of a body. Archimedes’ Principles describe the size of the upthrust: “when a body is partially or totally immersed in a fluid, the upthrust is equal to the weight of the fluid it displaces”. If an object is considered at rest, the upthrust will be equal the weight of the object as there is no viscous drag. If the object were now fully immersed in a fluid, there would be a net upward force on the object if the upthrust exceeds the weight, which will push the object upwards until it is only partially immersed and displaces exactly its own weight of fluid. On the other hand, if the upthrust on the fully immersed object is less than the object’s weight, then there is a net downward force and consequently the object sinks.

        this can be related to a real life situation, where a skydiver jumps off his plane. the theory of viscous drag can be used to explain ‘air resistance’. when the skydiver first jumps off the plane, he will first accelerate due to a net downward force, where the weight of the skydiver being much greater than the upthrust. but he also experiences a viscous drag force from the air which increases as speed increases. therefore the net downward force is reduced as speed increases, and eventually when the viscous drag and upthrust balances the weight of the person, the net force reaches zero and the skydiver no longer accelerates. at this moment, the person falls at constant downward velocity or terminal velocity . terminal velocity will be important in the experiment when the viscosity of glycerol..

        The velocity of the falling ball bearing will be measured while the ball bearing reaches terminal velocity, as the velocity of the ball bearing can be simply measured through: speed = distance/ time. Moreover, during constant speed, the net forces acting on the ball bearing is zero, and the following equation is valid and can be applied:

Upthrust (U)                +        Viscous Drag (F)                =        Weight (W)

4πr 3 ρ fluid g / 3                                6πr η v                        =        4πr 3 p steel g / 3                                                                                                        

This is a preview of the whole essay

r is the radius of the sphere, ρ fluid is the density of water, ρ steel is the density of steel, and v is the terminal velocity at which the sphere travels at. We could now rearrange the formula to find the viscosity, µ:

        F                =                W                -                U        

6πr η v                =        4πr 3 ρ fluid g / 3                -        4πr 3 ρ steel g / 3.

(Cancel out π and r from each side, multiply each side by 6 and divide each side by 2):

 9 η v                =        2r 2 ρ steel g                -        2r 2 ρ fluid g

(take 2r 2 g as the common factor of the right hand side and make η  the subject):

         η                 =                2r 2   g ( ρ steel - ρ fluid ) / 9v

With this equation, we are now able to calculate the viscosity of glycerol using the falling ball viscometer.

To investigate how temperature affects viscosity of a fluid.  

Prediction:

         It has been predicted that the viscosity of the fluid will increase at higher temperatures. This is because at higher temperatures, more heat energy will be given to the molecules in the fluid. Thus molecules will move and vibrate faster. This increase in movement is not sufficient for the substance to change state, however causes greater gaps between molecules, therefore molecules will be more spread out. The density of the fluid will thus decrease. As there are fewer molecules per unit volume, the viscous drag that resists the downward movement of the ball bearing will be less, as there are fewer molecules per unit volume to block the movement. Consequently viscosity decreases.

Observation

         Observations will be taken at the following temperatures: 20, 30, 40, 50, 60 and 70 degrees Celsius. For each temperature, five results will be taken, the average between them will be obtained. It has not been planned to take experiments below room temperature, as that would require using ice and will further complicate the experiment and lengthen the duration. It is thought not to be necessary in doing so.

        The viscosity of the glycerol will be obtained by measuring the velocity of the ball bearing. By using Stokes law:

η  = F/6 π rv

where η  is the coefficient of viscosity of the fluid, F is the force opposing the direction of the ball bearing, and r is the radius of the ball bearing, it can be seen that viscosity is inversely proportional to the velocity of the ball bearing. Thus, by realising the relationship between temperature and velocity, the relationship between temperature and viscosity can be obtained.

        The apparatus which will be needed are:

• A stopwatch to measure the speed of the ball bearing.
• Glycerol which will be used as the medium in which the ball bearing flows.
• A long plastic tube in which to contain the glycerol fluid.
• A stand and clamp to hold on to the plastic tube.
• A ball bearing.
• A metre ruler to set the distance that the ball bearing moves.
• A magnet to help take out the ball bearing.
• A calliper to measure the radius of the ball bearing.
• A thermometer to measure the temperature of the glycerol.

        Equipment will be set up as shown in figure below.

        Glycerol is heated in tubs placed in hot water baths at different temperatures, at 50 ° C, 70 ° C and 90 ° C. However, the temperature of the glycerol may not be at the temperature of the hot water baths. Thus, the temperature of each tub of glycerol is measured. The tub of glycerol which is at a higher temperature than, but closest to the desired temperature is used. The temperature of the glycerol is closely monitored until it drops to 2 ° C higher than the desired temperature, when it is carefully poured into the long plastic tube carefully using a funnel. This is due to taking into account that the temperature of glycerol will drop during the experiment. During the preliminary tests, it is found that on average during the experiment, the temperature of the glycerol drops by about 4 ° C. By starting at +2 ° C, to -2 ° C, of the desired temperature, avoids giving biased results.

        Prior to taking measurements, the distance travelled by the ball bearing will be marked. 0.3m will be marked from the bottom of the plastic tube, when the bottom of the ball bearing is seen to pass through this line, timing will start. When the bottom of the ball bearing touches the bottom surface of the plastic tube, the stopwatch will be stopped. As the terminal velocity of the ball bearing needs to be measured in this experiment, another line is drawn 0.1m above the 0.3m line. This is where the glycerol will be poured up to. This 0.1m of glycerol should be sufficient for the ball bearing to reach terminal velocity before timing starts at the 0.3m line.

        During the experiment, the 1cm diameter ball bearing will be used. Preliminary tests found that this ball bearing drops through the glycerol at a lower speed than larger ball bearings. This maybe due to having a lower weight in relation to the upthrust and viscous drag. This gives more accurate results as the timing is initiated by the operator, there is a greater percentage uncertainty if the ball bearing drops too quickly. The ball bearing used will not be released  from air, as the ball bearing will accelerate quicker in air and thus may enter the glycerol at a higher speed than the terminal velocity in glycerol. Consequently, the ball bearing may have to take a longer distance to reach terminal velocity in the glycerol where the limited distance allowed may not be sufficient. Moreover, if the ball bearing is released in air, a splash may occur when the ball bearing enters the glycerol, this may cause a mess and will be time consuming to having to constantly clean the bench after each experiment.

        The ball bearing will be held stationary at the 0.4m line in the glycerol with a magnet outside the plastic tube. To release the ball bearing, the operator moves the magnet away from the tube. However, this causes the ball bearing to drop while having contact with the wall of the plastic tube. This may cause more resistant force acting upwards on the ball bearing as there is friction between the ball bearing and the wall of the plastic tube. This cannot be avoided if the ball bearing is released while it is submerged in glycerol. However, this will happen in each experiment, to make the test as fair as possible.

        Each test will be repeated four times to gather a total of five times for each temperature of glycerol. The experiment will start at the highest temperature, 70 ° C. Glycerol at room temperature will be stirred thoroughly into the hot glycerol in a separate container when the lower desired temperature is needed, and the new glycerol will be poured back into the plastic tube to the 0.4m line.

 Making a fair test:

         To ensure that results are unbiased. All variables, except for the temperature of glycerol, will be kept constant.

        The type of fluid used needs to be the same. Therefore, only glycerol will be used. As different fluids have a different viscosity coefficients. Thus, at the same temperature, different fluids will have a different viscosity.

        The concentration of glycerol will be kept constant, by using the same glycerol throughout the experiment. As the concentration of fluids directly affects its viscosity due to difference in density. If it has a higher density, there would be more particles in a given volume. Therefore, the ball bearing must move through a larger amount of particles, which provides more resistance, and thus viscous drag. If the concentration of glycerol is reduced, the density of the fluid is reduced. Thus, the viscosity will be reduced.         

Errors and accuracy:

         During this experiment, instrumental and human errors exist. Human errors may occur in measuring the distance travelled by the ball bearing. A parallax error of ± 0.005m will exist during the measuring of the distance using a ruler. Moreover, the marker used to draw the lines is 3mm thick, this gives a further ± 0.003m uncertainty.

        In addition, error will occur in using the stopwatch. It cannot be ensured that the operator starts and stops the stopwatch at the very instant the ball bearing passes the line or touches the bottom of the plastic tube. There is an estimated error of ± 0.1s on each end. This therefore gives a total of ± 0.2s.

        Instrumental errors will also occur. The metre ruler used measures to the nearest millimetre. . Therefore there is a ± 0.001m uncertainty on the ruler used on both ends altogether. Moreover, errors will occur in measuring the time in which the ball bearing covers the given distance. The stopwatch used measures to the nearest ± 0.01 seconds. Thus, it will have an error of ± 0.01 seconds.

Error in recording time:                         0.2s        +        0.01s                        =   ± 0.21s

Error in measuring distance travelled:         0.005m        +        0.003m        +        0.001m        =   ± 0.009m

Error in calculated speed (speed = distance/time):                 0.009        /    0.21                =   ± 0.043m/s

                                                                                           (2d.p.)

Now in order to work out the viscosity of glycerol, we needed to work out its density. It was obtained by measuring the mass of 100cm 3 in a cylinder using a digital balance. The mass of the honey came out to be 139.5g (or 0.1395kg). Therefore the density of the honey turns out to be:

Density = Mass / Volume

= 0.1395kg / 0.00010m 3

1400kg m -3  (2 s.f.)

Now viscosity can be worked out:

µ = 2r 2   g (p steel - p fluid ) / 9v

= [2 x 0.005 2 m   x 9.81Nkg -1  (7700Nsm -2  - 1400Nsm -2 )] / [9 x v (ms -1) ]

= 3.09015/9v Nsm -2  

= 3.09015/9 x 1/v.

= 0.34335/v Nsm -2

Interpreting and Evaluating

        In the graph showing terminal velocity of ball bearing at different temperatures of glycerol, it can be observed that velocity increases with an increase in temperature. All of the points are close to the line of best fit. The points that are slightly more deviated from the line of best fit are the ones at a temperature of 40 and 50 degrees Celsius. As the deviation is not large, it is most probably due to experimental errors.

        As all the points are close to the line of best fit, the graph suggests that temperature is proportional to velocity. From Stokes Law: η  = F/6 π rv, viscosity is inversely proportional to the velocity. Thus, as temperature is proportional to velocity, viscosity must decrease proportionally to an increase in temperature. As temperature increases, viscosity decreases proportionally.

        This can be explained by my theory explained in the planning section. As temperature is increased, more heat energy is supplied to the molecules in the fluid. Thus, the molecules move faster, and become more spread out. Therefore, the number of molecules per unit volume is decreased. Thus, there are fewer molecules to resist the downward movement of the ball bearing, decreasing the viscous drag of the fluid. As viscous drag is decreased, the velocity will increase.

        There are, however, limitations to my results. Firstly, there are the experimental errors. This is due to both human errors and instrumental errors. The main error that I had was due to the measurement of time. I could not make sure that I measured the time that ball bearing covered 0.3 metres because there would certainly be a time lag for me to see the ball bearing land on the bottom of the plastic tube and record the time. There is also a ± 0.01s error in the stopwatch used.

        Another limitation is the fact that I have used a narrow plastic tube in which to conduct the experiment. Stokes Law works under the condition that there is plenty of open space around the ball bearing. However, in using a narrow tube, there is not a lot of space around the ball bearing. Resistance against movement of the ball bearing will increase when it is closer to the sides. This will make my results less accurate. Moreover, I was not provided with the proper equipment to release the ball bearing while submerged in water without touching the wall of the plastic tube. This caused friction between the ball bearing and the plastic, which caused further inaccuracy.

        I have also made the assumption that the ball bearing reaches terminal by the time it reaches the 0.3m line. However, this cannot be proven with our limited knowledge and equipment provided. But I believe that the error produced as a result of this should not be very large, as the ball bearing reaches terminal velocity very quickly.

        I think that I have conducted this experiment accurately within experimental limitations. I have tried my best to ensure that all the variables apart from temperature was controlled, and I think that my results should be accurate enough to draw a reliable conclusion.

        Next time, I could eliminate the error of using a narrow tube by containing the fluid in a wider container that would allow much more space around the ball bearing. Thus, error due to increased resistance at the side of the tube would be eliminated. Therefore, results obtained would be more accurate.

        I can also increase the distance that the ball bearing has to travel. As a result, the percentage of time the ball bearing is travelling at terminal velocity is increased. Thus, the inaccuracy due to the time when the ball bearing was accelerating would be less significant in my results. Therefore, the margin of error would be decreased, thus increasing the accuracy of my results. In addition, sets of phototransistors can be used next time to eliminate the operator errors I caused by timing the fall of the ball bearing with the naked eye and by hand.

        In the future, I would like to see how concentration of the fluid will affect its viscosity. I will change the concentration by mixing it with water. I think that as the density of water is much lower than glycerol fluid, the higher concentration of the fluid, the greater the viscosity.

A r t h u r   C h a n   1 2 L        

Document Details

• Word Count 3525
• Page Count 7
• Subject Science

Related Essays

Viscosity - Comparing the viscosities of different liquids.

Investigating the Relationship Between Temperature and Viscosity.

Practical investigation into Viscosity in liquids (Stokes Law).

Viscosity of Fluids

Viscosity of Liquids: Theory, Estimation, Experiment, and Data

• January 2007
• Publisher: Springer
• ISBN: 1280817208

• University of Missouri
• This person is not on ResearchGate, or hasn't claimed this research yet.

• Indian Institute of Chemical Technology

Discover the world's research

• 25+ million members
• 160+ million publication pages
• 2.3+ billion citations

Chapters (5)

• Viscosity of Liquids
• 1 Recommendation

• Jiongliang Huang
• Yuan Zhuang
• Xiaohong Han

• Carlos M. Silva

• Raju V. Ramanujan

• Kanhaya Sharma
• Ivan Puchades

• SENSOR ACTUAT A-PHYS

• van Puchades
• Pankaj B Agarwal

• Saeed Farrokhpay
• Julien Brocus
• TRANSPORT POROUS MED
• INT J FOOD SCI TECH

• Bradley E. Treeby

• Nguyễn Thanh Bình

• Charles Huamaní
• Luz Cruz-Huanca
• Renzo Herrera-Aedo
• Phillip Anjum

• ENERG CONVERS MANAGE

• Matthew S. Johnson

• Se-Jung Bang
• Soo-Kyung Jun

• Umberto Terranova

• Lisiane O. Diehl
• Leoni N. Brondani
• Fernanda de Castilhos
• Shella Maria Dos Santos
• Maria Regina Wolf Maciel

• Abdul Aiman
• Lau Kok Keong

• Wahyu Caesarendra

• SENSORS-BASEL

• O. V. Grineva

• Oleg N. Martyanov

• Javier Ballester

• Wasiu Bolade Agbaje
• Enoch Adeolu Aninku

• Yuri Slominskii
• A. J. Chavan
• Nikolaos K. Uzunoglu

• Yu. I. Kuzovkov
• I.V. Markov

• Romain Privat

• Christian Robelin

• S. H. Fishtine

• G.L. Gardner
• B. C.-Y. Lu
• G. R. Yarnell
• J. A. Mountain
• Mohamed Safwat Abdelazim
• Lombard Squires
• J.N. Mandal
• M.L. Thakur
• J. Timmermans
• M. Hennaut-Roland
• A.L. Horvath
• G.M. Panchenkov
• T.-S. Chair
• V.B. Borisov
• M.D. Hersey
• J. Newton Friend
• William D. Hargreaves
• Carlos R. Duhne
• E.W. Merrill
• Proc Roy Soc Lond
• J.H. McLean
• Edward H. Zeitfuchs
• M.J. Gillan
• Y. Delcourt
• R. McKennell

• A. Sachanow
• N. Ryachovskii

• J. G. Kirkwood
• J CHEM ENG DATA
• S.K. Mishra
• HYDROCARB PROCESS
• Mohamed B. Amin
• R.N. Maddox
• FLUID PHASE EQUILIBR

• Kenneth R. Harris

• Lawrence A. Woolf

• R. P. Shukla
• R. P. Bhatnagar
• Ram K. Nigam
• Major S. Dhillon
• N. Mamagakis

• Torsten Bohlin
• CAN J CHEM ENG

• Seung-Kyo Oh
• Scott W. Campbell
• K. E. Gubbins
• Recruit researchers
• Join for free
• Login Email Tip: Most researchers use their institutional email address as their ResearchGate login Password Forgot password? Keep me logged in Log in or Continue with Google Welcome back! Please log in. Email · Hint Tip: Most researchers use their institutional email address as their ResearchGate login Password Forgot password? Keep me logged in Log in or Continue with Google No account? Sign up

Academia.edu no longer supports Internet Explorer.

To browse Academia.edu and the wider internet faster and more securely, please take a few seconds to  upgrade your browser .

Enter the email address you signed up with and we'll email you a reset link.

• We're Hiring!
• Help Center

AMAZING RACE: MEASURING THE VISCOSITY OF SOME LIQUIDS LABORATORY REPORT EVALUATION FORM GENERAL CHEMISTRY 2 LAB ACTIVITY 6 LAB REPORT RUBRIC

Related Papers

Fjp Caetano

Journal of Chemical & Engineering Data

Carlos A N D Castro , William Wakeham

Measurement

Mario Rasetti

International Journal of Engineering Research and

Saanyol Igbax

Don Warrington

Zenodo (CERN European Organization for Nuclear Research)

Andreia Furtado

William Wakeham , Fjp Caetano

https://arxiv.org/abs/2008.05287

Alex Francisco Estupiñán López , Alex Francisco Estupiñán López

The study of viscosity, in the area of fluid physics at a university level, is of great importance because of the various applications that are presented in the different fields of engineering. In this work an experimental method of implementation and validation is exposed, to be able to calculate the viscosity of some newtonian and non-newtonian fluids, in which the method of a sphere that descends through a fluid has been used, making Using a viscometer of our own construction, with the help of the CassyLab sensor and software of Leybold Didactics, we show the results obtained by our measuring instrument, which is intended to highlight the versatility and precision of the measuring instrument prepared by us, in addition In this work the authors want to motivate the physics laboratory teachers; to explore the use of these tools that allow you to check the topics seen in the theoretical classes. Finally, we present the hardworking results of the measurement of viscosity for different fluids, both newtonian and non-newtonian, for the latter we show the viscosity behavior as a function of temperature.

Journal of Food Engineering

Yoginder Singh

Loading Preview

Sorry, preview is currently unavailable. You can download the paper by clicking the button above.

RELATED PAPERS

Pure and Applied Chemistry

Marc Assael

Nature Protocols

Emmanuel Theodorakis

Chemical Industry and Chemical Engineering Quarterly

Ivona Radović , Mirjana Kijevcanin

The Chemical Engineering Journal

The Canadian Journal of Chemical Engineering

Pascual Medina

Indra Tripathi

Organic & Biomolecular Chemistry

Kenneth Marsh

mohammad almasi

Journal of Molecular Liquids

Oleg Victor Prezhdo

Journal of Scientific Research in Science

Mostafa Mekawy

Turkish Journal of Physics

Raden Oktova

2018 ASEE Annual Conference & Exposition Proceedings

michael golub

International Journal of Thermophysics

William Wakeham

Amit Bachhawat

Nandhibatla V Sastry

Journal of Applied Polymer Science

Mohsen Mohsen-Nia

Fluid Phase Equilibria

João Diogo Filho

Sergio Cisneros

Luisa Segade

Dalia Hernandez

Alexander Ibojo

•   We're Hiring!
•   Help Center
• Find new research papers in:
• Health Sciences
• Earth Sciences
• Cognitive Science
• Mathematics
• Computer Science
• Academia ©2024

Get Your ALL ACCESS Shop Pass here →

Viscosity Experiment With Marbles

Learn about the viscosity of fluids with a simple viscosity experiment. Grab some marbles and determine which will fall to the bottom first. We love  science experiments  that are fun and easy to do!

What Is Viscosity?

Friction is a force that is created when there is motion between two solid objects. Liquids can also have friction. This internal friction is called viscosity .

All liquids have different viscosities, which means some liquids flow more easily than others. Viscosity is a physical property of fluids. The word viscous comes from the Latin word viscum, meaning sticky. It describes how fluids resist flow or how “thick” or “thin” they are.

Viscosity is affected by what the fluid is made of and the temperature of it. For example, water has a low viscosity, as it is “thin.” Hair gel is much more viscous than oil and significantly more than water!

Learn about the viscosity of fluids by having a marble race. Try this fun marble drop experiment below! You could even turn it into an easy viscosity science project.

• Clear glasses
• Various liquids (water, syrup, honey, oil)
• Ruler (optional)
• Printable Instructions (see below)

Instructions:

STEP 1: Fill your glasses with your various liquids. Make sure they are all filled to the same level.

Learn more about using the scientific method for kids.

STEP 2: Place your ruler on top of your glasses and then place the marbles on top.

STEP 3: Tip your ruler toward you to release all of the marbles into your glasses at the exact same time.

STEP 4: Watch closely to see which marble reaches the bottom of the glass first. Did you guess which marble would win?

Using The Scientific Method

The scientific method is a process or method of research. A problem is identified, information about the problem is gathered, a hypothesis or question is formulated from the information, and the hypothesis is tested with an experiment to prove or disprove its validity.

Sounds heavy… What in the world does that mean?!? It means you don’t need to try and solve the world’s biggest science questions! The scientific method is all about studying and learning things right around you.

As children develop practices that involve creating, gathering data evaluating, analyzing, and communicating, they can apply these critical thinking skills to any situation.

LEARN MORE HERE: Using The Scientific Method with Kids

Note: The use of the best Science and Engineering Practices is also relevant to the topic of using the scientific method. Read more here and see if it fits your science planning needs.

Helpful Science Resources

Here are a few resources that will help you introduce science more effectively to your kiddos or students. Then you can 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
• Join us in the Club

FREE printable viscosity science project!

More Fun Viscosity Experiments To Try

Kids can use common household materials to try more viscosity experiments!

1. Cornstarch and Water: Oobleck!

Mix cornstarch with water in a bowl until you get a gooey substance. Have the kids try to stir the mixture slowly and then quickly. Discuss how the mixture behaves differently at different speeds, demonstrating its non-Newtonian properties.

2. Honey and Syrup Races

Fill two identical containers with honey and syrup. Have the kids tip the containers simultaneously, observe, and discuss which one flows faster. This demonstrates the different viscosities of honey and syrup.

3. Oil and Water Exploration

Fill a transparent container with water and drop some cooking oil into it. Observe how the oil forms droplets and floats on the water due to its lower viscosity. Discuss why the oil and water don’t mix.

Extend this viscosity experiment with alka seltzer tables. See lava lamp experiment.

4. Bubble Fun with Dish Soap

Mix dish soap with water to create a bubble solution. Use different amounts of soap to create solutions with varying viscosities. Have the kids blow bubbles and observe how the size and stability of the bubbles change with different soap concentrations.

Check out more bubble science experiments kids will love!

5. Ketchup vs. Mustard Race

Fill two squeeze bottles, one with ketchup and the other with mustard. Have the kids squeeze both bottles onto a plate and observe and discuss which condiment has a higher viscosity.

6. Molasses Pouring

Pour molasses or honey onto a plate and observe its slow flow. Discuss how molasses has a higher viscosity compared to water.

7. Dropper Races

Fill two droppers with liquids of different viscosities, such as water and honey. Challenge the kids to squeeze the droppers and observe how fast the liquids come out. Discuss the differences in flow rate.

8. Hot and Cold Syrup

Heat one container of syrup and keep another at room temperature. Compare the viscosity of the warm and cold syrup by pouring them onto a plate. Discuss how temperature can affect viscosity.

More Fun Science Experiments

• Magic Milk Experiment
• Self Inflating Balloon Experiment
• Egg in Vinegar Experiment
• Mentos and Coke Experiment
• Pop Rocks Viscosity Experiment
• 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

Subscribe to receive a free 5-Day STEM Challenge Guide

~ projects to try now ~.