rising water experiment youtube video

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Rising Water Air Pressure Demonstration

March 7, 2023 By Emma Vanstone 2 Comments

This straightforward science activity is an excellent demonstration of air pressure ! When the lit candle runs out of oxygen, changes in air pressure lead to the water level in the glass rising upwards.

This activity requires adult supervision.

You’ll need

A pint-sized glass or jar

Egg cup or candle holder

Small tealight candle

Small plate

Food colouring – optional

Instructions

Add a little food colouring to a cup of water and mix thoroughly. Pour the coloured water onto the plate so the base of the plate is completely covered.

Place the egg cup in the middle of the plate and pop the tealight candle on top. Make sure the candle is secure and won’t fall off.

Make a note of the water level inside the glass.

Light the candle ( ask an adult to help ) and place the glass or jar over the top.

The candle will go out when it runs out of oxygen, and you should see the water rise up into the glass.

What’s happening?

The heat of the candle flame increases the air pressure in the glass, which forces some air out. The candle goes out when all the oxygen in the glass has been used up, and the air cools and contracts. The air pressure outside the glass is now higher than inside, so water is sucked into the class until the air pressure is equalized.

Don’t forget to look at my other air pressure experiment s too!

Last Updated on March 7, 2023 by Emma Vanstone

Safety Notice

Science Sparks ( Wild Sparks Enterprises Ltd ) are not liable for the actions of activity of any person who uses the information in this resource or in any of the suggested further resources. Science Sparks assume no liability with regard to injuries or damage to property that may occur as a result of using the information and carrying out the practical activities contained in this resource or in any of the suggested further resources.

These activities are designed to be carried out by children working with a parent, guardian or other appropriate adult. The adult involved is fully responsible for ensuring that the activities are carried out safely.

Reader Interactions

November 19, 2012 at 8:50 pm

Looks like an interesting book,thanks for sharing.

November 21, 2012 at 9:38 pm

We really liked it!

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Rising Water Science Experiment

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It feels like a science-y kind of day today, so I want to share with you our latest experiment!  This rising water science experiment is fun and oh-so easy! That’s the best kind. Check out the description at the end. This experiment would be great for explaining how storms work!

How to do the Rising Water Science Experiment

You will need a few supplies:.

Large Cork Wooden Matches Small Plate Tall Glass Water

Cut the cork in half lengthwise from the top to the bottom. Poke three small holes in the cork and put the three wooden matches into the cork.

Place the cork on the plate and fill it with water.

Light the matches then place the glass over the cork.

The water will be pulled up into the glass and the cork will float up. The matches will be blown out.

How Does the Rising Water Science Experiment Work?

Air is made up of tons of molecules that are always bumping into each other. The temperature of the air changes the speed of the movement. Warmer air moves more quickly than colder air. When the glass is lowered over the matches, the air begins to warm up. The molecules moved more quickly and many of them escaped making the air less dense. When the glass covered the matches, the matches burned up all of the oxygen and went out.

Since the density of the air inside the glass was now less dense, the air on the outside pushed on the glass, the force caused the water to rise in and upwards in the glass.

This same process works for wind on earth. The sun heats up the air causing the air’s density to lower and this creates wind and storms. The cooler high-density air moves into a lower density pocket of air. If there is enough wind (like a hurricane), the water can be lifted up and out of the ocean.

I have a huge list of Science Projects and STEM Activities . Check out more of them!

Former school teacher turned homeschool mom of 4 kids. Loves creating awesome hands-on creative learning ideas to make learning engaging and memorable for all kids!

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Posted on Last updated: December 8, 2021 By: Author Kim

Categories STEM Activities

Rising Water Experiment – Magic Water Science Experiment

Rising Water Experiment: a magic rising water science experiment.

• Ages: Preschool , PreK , Kindergarten, Elementary
• Difficulty: Easy
• Learning: STEM , Air Pressure, Ideal Gas Law, Charles’s Law

Did you know you can make water rise without touching it?

Nope, it isn’t magic. It’s science. Surprisingly simple science in fact. This science experiment comes together in minutes, but it will captivate your children.

Here is how to do the raising water experiment, simple glass and candle STEM magic.

What's In This Post?

Supplies for your Glass and Candle Experiment

How to do the rising water experiment, the science, the chemical component, the physical component, the big picture, what should children take away from this science experiment, conservation of matter, charles’s law, ideal gas law, ask a question, magic water science experiment, free printable raising water experiment instructions, instructions, rising water experiment.

This experiment uses at-home materials and is fascinating! It does require adult help, but adults will love it too.

You only need a few items to make this magic water STEM experiment work. Here is what you need to gather up:

• Glass or Jar
• Small Votive Candle
• Shallow Dish
• Food Coloring (Optional)
• Matches or Lighter

Before we even get started please remember that an adult needs to be present for this experiment. We are using fire, which can be dangerous, so be smart.

Step 1: Take a sallow dish and fill it with water. You want just enough to cover the bottom.

Step 2: If you want, add food coloring to the water. This just makes it easier to see and is fun, so totally optional.

Step 3: Place your small votive in the middle of the dish.

Step 4: Light the candle, then quickly place the empty glass over the flame, touching the water. Now wait while the candle burns out.

Step 5: Watch as the water rises up into the glass!

The number one safety tip here is to be careful with the flame! This experiment must be done with adult supervision at the bare minimum. With younger children, like preschoolers, this needs to be an adult-led experiment.

This STEM activity also uses glass, so it is a good idea to be careful in case it falls or breaks.

Clean-up for this activity is pretty simple. Slowly lift the bottle off of the candle.

Once the bottle is off, gently blow the candle out. Let the candle cool (or have an adult get it), remove it from the dish, and dump the water down the drain. That’s it!

More must do activities!

How the Rising Water Experiment Works

This is a pretty cool experiment, but it is important to talk about what actually makes this happen. It’s fun to say it is magic, but as my kids tell me, ‘It’s better. It’s science.’

There are two main components of this experiment that cause the water to rise, a physical component and a chemical component. These two components work together to make this experiment happen.

The candle burning creates a chemical reaction. The flame burns both the paraffin (candle wax) and the oxygen under the glass. This reaction uses up oxygen and creates water and carbon dioxide as a result. Twice as much oxygen is burned than carbon dioxide produced, so the volume of air in the glass decreases.

(Note the total amount of matter in the jar remains the same. Conservation of matter tells us this. But some molecules are larger than others and take up more space in terms of volume.)

The physical component is why the water level in the glass doesn’t rise as soon as the candle is covered. The candle warms the air, and this increases the air volume inside the glass.

When the candle burns out (because all the oxygen is used up), the temperature cools quickly. This temperature decrease means the volume also decreases, which lets the water rise to fill up that space. This is called Charles’s Law.

Charles’s Law tells us that the ratio of volume to temperature must remain the same, so if one goes down the other goes down too.

These two parts of the experiment work together. Both the volume change and temperature also affect the pressure in the system we created. When temperature decreases (the physical component) and the size of the matter decreases (the chemical component), the pressure of the gas inside the glass decreases too.

This lower pressure inside means the water can rise as well. This is explained by the Ideal Gas Law.

The idea of air pressure can be a bit challenging for young children to understand. It isn’t something they can clearly see, so that makes sense. But they can understand something changing size, in other words when volume changes.

If the air inside the glass takes up less space, it makes sense for the water to fill in that space and rise inside the glass.

I understand that we went over a lot of more complicated concepts here. (And don’t worry, I’ve listed the definitions for the terms below to help out.) Am I really expecting young kids to understand and retain all this?

No. I mean, it would be cool if they did. And some might. But realistically that is not the point of this kind of science. The purpose of giving these explanations is so that you as a caregiver can quickly get the reasoning behind this project and interpret it for your children.

It is helpful for your children to see these experiments. Even if they don’t fully understand the details, this experience is adding to their understanding of how the world around them works. It builds their science base.

Using the vocabulary helps kids as well. First, it gives new words which are always helpful for communication skills. But I think, more importantly, it demystifies science later in life. Science can feel like a whole new language as we get older, and that can be very intimidating. If we have been exposed to these terms though, it’s less scary. We might not know exactly what they mean but we know that we have heard them before. This helps kids feel like science belongs to them. Because it does.

Helpful Definitions

Here are a few helpful definitions for the raising water experiment.

The conservation of matter law states that matter is not destroyed or created. It can change forms, but the total amount stays the same.

Charles’s Law tells us that the volume of a gas is directly proportional to the temperature of the gas. As the volume decreases, the temperature decreases, for example.

The Ideal Gas Law describes the conditions a gas is under and how those conditions will vary as compared to each other. The pressure of the gas multiplied by the volume will always equal the number of moles multiplied by the temperature and ideal gas law constant.

The Scientific Method

Since an adult is needed to run do this experiment with kids (fire safety!), it is a great time to talk through the scientific method! Here is a guideline of what that can look like with this STEM experiment.

(And don’t forget to learn all the life lessons that come along with the scientific method here: Beyond the Science- What Kids Are Really Learning .)

Ask your child, what do they think is going to happen when we put the glass on the candle? The key here is to listen and let them think it through. No answer is too far out there or wrong at this step.

The observation step is key throughout any experiment, but take a moment and look at their components. What do they notice about them? How do they normally behave? What do they already know about them?

Narrow down your potential answers and decide on one or a couple of outcomes you think are most likely. This is your hypothesis.

Time to run the experiment! Encourage your children to keep watching what is happening. (In this particular observation, sight is going to be the key thing to focus on. Some touch is possible, watching out for the flame of course. And you can encourage smell and hearing for practice.

What did they observe? Now is the time for them to tell you everything they can about what just happened.

This is where we form the conclusions and apply the information we learned. Do they think this will always happen? How did the results match or differ from their hypothesis?

Real experiments always lead to more questions. What does your child want to try next? What would they change in the experiment? Does more water in the dish change anything? Can they try to suck up all the water? Would adding a different liquid change the results?

Even if you aren’t able to complete any of their additional experiment ideas, it is a good idea to think of ways to explore more. Plus it is amazingly fun to hear all the ideas kids have.

This is a great experiment to do over and over. It’s fast, cheap and full of fun learning. It’s a must-do!

Let’s find your next fun activity!

Raising Water Experiment

How to do the raising water experiment that will wow kids!

• Food Coloring (optional)
• Lighter or Matches
• Fill your shallow dish with enough water to cover the bottom. Add food coloring. (optional)
• Place your votive in the middle of the dish.
• Light the votive candle.
• Place the glass upside down over the candle.
• Wait for the candle to burn out and watch the water rise!

This is a science experiment that needs adult supervision and help. It uses fire and needs an adult to be safe.

To clean up, gently pull the glass off the candle. Make sure the candle cools and the water can go down the drain.

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Rising Water Experiment

We normally don’t play with fire (for obvious reasons).

But here is a experiment I didn’t expect to be so easy and so much fun to do.

At the same time, the results are so hard to understand, with, sadly,  much misleading information  on the internet.

As always, adult supervision is required !

THERE IS FIRE INVOLVED

This is an easy rising water experiment. While your child may not understand completely the real science behind this experiment, it is still an awesome science activity to do to spark their interest in STEM!

• votive candle
• food coloring (optional)
• deep dish or container
• a tall glass
• adult supervision

Instructions

Rising water experiment step by step.

• Fill the dish or container with water to about 1 inch deep.
• Add food coloring into the water for better visual results (optional).
• Place a candle in the middle of the water. Make sure the water is at least an inch below the top of the candle.
• Light the candle.
• Invert the tall glass.
• Slowly and vertically, lower the glass to completely cover the candle.
• Watch the candle extinguish and water level rise.

Candle experiment explanation

Initially, you could see the water level rising a little bit while the candle was burning. But after the candle had gone out, the water level kept rising for almost an inch above the water level outside of the glass and stayed there.

So what do you think happened?

Did you try this project?

Follow us on Pinterest and share a photo!

The first thought in most people’s minds is that the candle burned and used up oxygen. There was less oxygen left in there.

However, when the candle burned, it also gave out carbon dioxide, which was another gas that could replace the volume previously occupied by oxygen. Shouldn’t the volume have stayed the same then?

To figure out what happened, it helps to understand a little bit of chemistry .

2 O 2 + C H 4 = C O 2 + 2 H 2 O

As you can see,   during burning, two oxygen molecules result in one carbon dioxide molecule and two water molecules . So the air volume decreases .

But if this was the main cause, shouldn’t the water level have stopped rising after the candle fire went out?

Turns out that besides chemistry, there is also a physical aspect that causes a big change in air volume .

After the candle went out, the air cooled. Cold air is more dense  and occupies a smaller volume than hot air. At the same time, water vapor (result of burning) condensed when the air cooled further reducing air volume inside the glass. Therefore, the water level rose even after the fire was out.

Another physical aspect contributing to the phenomenon was that the air surrounding the fire was initially hot before the glass was placed around it. So we started with air that was already less dense. Starting with less air than the outside added to the shrinkage in volume when the air cooled.

For the science-inclined minds, here is a detailed technical and scientific analysis  of this experiment.

See, you can learn so much about science from one little experiment. Isn’t it amazing?

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Why Does Water Rise? Best Science Experiments for Kids!

Why Does Water Rise? Best Science Experiments with Water for Kids! Looking for one of the best science experiments for kids? Try this popular “Why Does Water Rise?” experiment and incorporate some TECH to prove the science.

It’s like magic and kids love watching this fascinating science experiment, but what is actually happening when you place a glass over a lit candle in a bowl of water? I set my two little scientists the task of finding out. And if you are looking for an awesome science fair idea, in our opinion this is a winner!

Why Does Water Rise? Vacuum Science and STEM Activity

What you will discover in this article!

Disclaimer: This article may contain commission or affiliate links. As an Amazon Influencer I earn from qualifying purchases. Not seeing our videos? Turn off any adblockers to ensure our video feed can be seen. Or visit our YouTube channel to see if the video has been uploaded there. We are slowly uploading our archives. Thanks!

Check out our video of this and you’ll know why you have to try this yourself.

If you can’t see the video, please turn off any adblockers, they also block our video feed. You can also find a video of this experiment on the STEAM Powered Family YouTube Channel .

Supplies and Tools

A shallow bowl or dish A candle Water (adding a few drops of food coloring makes it easier to see what is happening) Lighter A large glass jar (we used a flower vase)

And if you have budding scientists you will also need a non-contact infrared digital thermometer . This is a fantastic way to bring in some technology to your science and make the leap into STEM activities.

Set your candle on the plate and pour approximately 1/2 to 1 cup of water on the plate. Light your candle, then place your jar (or vase) upside-down over the candle.

Then sit back and watch one of the best science experiments ever!

My youngest thought it was magic, and both my kids were amazed.

As the candle goes out, all of the water is sucked up into jar. The water rises! But why does water rise?

Very quickly my oldest assumed it had to do with the burning candle using up all the oxygen because the water would rise as soon as the candle went out. He hypothesized that the lack of oxygen was causing a change in the pressure inside the jar.

He was right that the candle went out because it ran out of oxygen, but that isn’t what causes the water to rise according to our friends over at Harvard .

It was time to break out the non-contact digital thermometer.

We did the experiment again and this time my oldest took temperature readings.

Very quickly the numbers climbed to over 23 degrees Celsius as the candle burned inside of the jar.

But as the flame weakened the temperature numbers started dropping. Then the candle went out and the water started climbing. The faster the water climbed the faster those numbers dropped. Overall it lost 2 degrees in a matter of seconds.

The vacuum created was so strong it sucked up all the water and even created bubbles as it sucked in air too once it had pulled in all the water from our plate.

Extension Activities

Alter how much water you use. How does it affect your results? What is the maximum amount of water your set up can suck up?

Now change your glass container to something bigger or smaller. How does that affect your results? (Hint we found a narrow neck gave us the best demonstration of water rising.)

Does changing your candle for a bigger or smaller one affect the results?

How does changing the temperature of your water affect the results?

This is one of the best science experiments because it demonstrates what happens to a flame as it runs out of oxygen and also how a rapid temperature change can create a vacuum or suction by altering the air pressure inside the jar. Not to mention it’s like magic! Bound to impress, especially at that science fair. And with all the adaptions and variables you can alter, you can make this traditional activity, uniquely yours.

Bonus Science Experiment

On a clean plate place a lit candle and cover with the jar. Once it goes out, gently lift the jar and relight the candle. Try to place the jar over the candle.

What happens? The candle immediately goes out!

Because the air in the jar is still lacking oxygen because it was all burned off. Blow in the jar a few times or move it around to replace the oxygen, then try again. Once you replace the depleted oxygen in the jar you can position it over the candle again and it will stay lit until it burns off all the oxygen again.

This was a great little side demonstration. Even though we couldn’t see it, the chemical composition of the air inside of the jar is changed by the burning flame and it takes time and air movement to bring oxygen back into the container. A fantastic way to show that even though we can’t see it, science is happening all around us.

More Science Experiments for Kids

5 Days of Smart STEM Ideas for Kids

Get started in STEM with easy, engaging activities.