Water Bottle Experiment

Ages 2-10

What You’ll Need

• Empty water bottle
• Balloon
• Funnel
• Straw
• Blu-Tack (or similar reusable adhesive)
• Tray for catching water (if inside) or bath or sink

Directions

1. Carefully poke a hole in the side of the water bottle with a pen just big enough for a straw to poke through and seal with Blu-Tack (this part of the activity will likely need parental supervision).
2. Pour water in the bottle to the level of the hole.
3. Blow up the balloon, hold it closed and place the mouth of the balloon over the top of the water bottle to cover completely (Note: ensure you have a tub or something to catch the water coming out of the fountain).
4. By now, the straw should create a fountain!

What We Learned

Water pressure is a matter of physics! The air coming out of the balloon pushed the water down and forced it to come out of the straw. As a next step, you can start thinking about what affects water pressure in your home.