Weightless Water (An Experiment You Can Do At Home)

MATERIALS

• clear plastic pop bottle (~0.5-liter)
• water

INSTRUCTIONS

1. Have an adult use an awl or a knife to poke a small hole in the base of the bottle.
2. Covering the hole with your thumb, fill the bottle with water.
3. Uncover the hole and the water streams out because it is heavier than air. To avoid a spill, try this experiment outdoors.
4. Before the water runs out, drop the bottle, and watch the stream of water. Observe whether the water comes out more quickly, more slowly, or the same.
5. After refilling the bottle with water, try tossing the bottle straight upward. Again, observe what happens to the stream of water once the bottle is released.
6. Next, try tossing the filled bottle upward at an angle (while trying to keep the bottle upright). The bottle will follow a parabolic trajectory, just like the maneuvers in a microgravity aircraft.