Experiments

Leakproof Bag Experiment

We had a lot of fun doing this simple experiment at home.  We pushed sharpened pencils through a bag full of water to see if it would leak!

🚩What you need:🚩
🔹1 ziploc bag filled with water and zipped closed
🔹several sharpened pencils (we used 3)

➡️What to do:⬅️

1️⃣ Hold the bag at the top with one hand and push each pencil sharpened end first through the bag through both sides of the bag.
2️⃣ Repeat with additional pencils.
3️⃣ When you are done, remove the pencils over a sink or outside.

❓What’s happening:❓

The plastic bag is made from a flexible polymer that has long chains of molecules.  As the pencil is pushed through the bag, it slips passed the molecular chains without breaking them.  This helps form a temporary seal and it doesn’t leak!

Enjoy!

-Kristen

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