How to Create Walking Water

Did you know you can make water walk? Follow along with ABC11 Science Club with BASF and discover how to use a few household items to create a beautiful rainbow experiment!

Objective: To Create Capillary Action

Capillary action is the ability of a liquid to flow in narrow spaces without the assistance of, and in opposition to, external forces like gravity.

In this walking water experiment, liquid uses the process of capillary action to move along tiny gaps in the fiber of the paper towels. It occurs due to the adhesive force between the water and the paper towel being stronger than the cohesive forces inside the water itself. This process can also be seen in plants where moisture travels from the roots to the rest of the plant.

Click here to download a PDF of the instructions to print and recreate at home!

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