Capillary Action Snowflakes!

Capillary Action is the ability that water has to move upwards when confined to small spaces! We can observe capillary action through everyday phenomena, like when plants transport water from the ground through their roots. In this experiment, you can make your own model of a snowflake and see capillary action up close by observing water moving through the tiny holes in a coffee filter, combining art and science!

Learning Objectives

  1. Practicing science process skills: observing, classifying, hypothesizing, testing

  2. Practicing fine motor skills by using tools like pipettes and scissors

  3. Exploring novel materials using our senses

  4. Making science models

Let’s Begin!

Materials

  • Coffee filter

  • Scissors

  • Washable markers (primary colors - red, blue, yellow - recommended)

  • Cup with a little bit water

  • Plate or tray with sides

  • Pipette

  • Magnifying lens (optional)

  • Paper towels

 

Directions

  1. Observe the coffee filter using a magnifying glass or by holding it up to the light. What do you notice about the coffee filter? Can you find the tiny holes?

  2. Design your snowflake! First fold your coffee filter in half and then in half again. Now fold it in thirds, placing one fold on top and one fold underneath. You should now have a triangle!

  3. Cut out shapes along the edges of your triangle. When you have finished cutting, unfold your paper to reveal your snowflake!

    Science Tip: every snowflake we see outside when it snows is unique, so however your design turns out will be special!

  4. Using the washable markers, color the snowflake anyway you would like.

    Science Tip: real snowflakes appear white to the eye but because of their crystal structure can refract (bend) light, revealing many different colors!

  5. Place your snowflake on your tray. Make a hypothesis! What do you think will happen when you drop water onto your snowflake?

  6. Put your pipette in the cup with water and fill it up. Slowly add drops of water all around your snowflake.

    Science Tip: place the pipette in the cup, while it is in the water, squeeze the top and LET GO! Your pipette should fill up with water. Take your pipette out of the cup and hold over you snowflake. Now gently squeeze the top again and watch what happens!

  7. Observe what happens when the water touches the coffee filter. Does it stay in one spot or move around? What do you notice is happening to the colors on your snowflake?

  8. Carefully lift your snowflake out of the tray and place on paper towels to dry.

More to Think About!

  • How does the coffee filter feel? Is it rough or smooth?

  • Compare a coffee filter to regular paper. How is it the same? How is it different?

  • Why do you think the water moves around the coffee filter?

  • How many colors are in your snowflake? How do you think you made new colors?

  • How is your model similar to a real snowflake? How is it different?

 

Exploring the Experiment

Capillary action occurs when a liquid, such as water, flows into narrow spaces. In this experiment, the porous make-up of the coffee filter creates a web of tiny spaces for the water to occupy as it flows.

Capillary action can happen because water molecules are “sticky” - meaning they are attracted to themselves (cohesion) and attracted to other things (adhesion).

  • Cohesion is a force of attraction between molecules of the same substance. These forces include surface tension. For cohesion, molecules of a feather stick together.

  • Adhesion is a force of attraction between molecules that are not the same. For adhesion, opposites attract.

These forces in combination with tiny spaces, allow water molecules to stick to each other and the coffee filter allowing for capillary action!

Janna Doherty