3 rd Grade Science Activities

About Capillary Action

Explore and demonstrate the process of capillary action though this fun watery
activity for 3rd grade.

You will need:

A glass filled with water
An empty glass
Paper towels

Instructions:
Twist the paper towels together until they form into a rope or a wick.
Place one end of the paper towel rope into the water-filled glass and the other
into the empty glass.
Observe what happens.

How does it happen?

The paper towels will gradually become damp and then completely wet. After a
few minutes, the empty glass will start filling up with water. Eventually, there will
be an equal amount of water in both glasses. This process is known as capillary
action; the strategy used by water to move through the fiber of the towels.
Capillary action relies on the cohesive force between water and paper being
stronger than the cohesive force between water molecules. You can see the
effects of capillary action in the movement of moisture from the roots of a plant
to the other parts.

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