What is the effect of gravity in water? This experiment demonstrates that gravity has little effect on bodies submerged in a liquid.
Things Required:
Clear drinking glass
1/2 cup of rubbing alcohol
½ cup of water liquid cooking oil
Eye-dropper
Directions:
Pour 1/2 cup of water into the glass. Tilt the glass and very slowly pour in 1/2 cup of alcohol. Be careful not to shake the glass because alcohol and water will mix. Fill the eye-dropper with the cooking oil. Place the tip of the dropper below the surface of the top alcohol layer and squeeze out several drops of oil.
This Is What Happens:
The alcohol forms a layer on top of the water. The drops of oil form perfect spheres that float in the centre below the alcohol and on top of the water.
Science Behind It:
Alcohol is lighter and will float on the water if the two are combined very carefully. Shaking causes them to mix, forming one solution. Oil is heavier than alcohol, but lighter than water; thus the oil drops float between the two liquids.
Gravity does not affect the drops because they are surrounded by liquid molecules that are pulling equally on them in all directions. The oil molecules pull on one another, forming a shape that takes up the least surface area, a sphere.
