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Discovering how liquids flow and take the shape of the containers they are in.
Have you ever wondered why water can be a round bubble, a flat puddle, or a tall glass? How does it change its shape so fast?
Everything around us is made of matter. A liquid is a special kind of matter that does not have its own shape. Instead, it is a 'shape-shifter'! If you pour water into a round bowl, it becomes round. If you pour it into a square box, it becomes square. This happens because the tiny parts inside a liquid can slide and move around each other. This sliding movement is what we call flow.
Let's see how water changes shape: 1. Take a star-shaped cake mold. 2. Pour cup of blue water into the mold. 3. Look at the water! It is now shaped like a star. It filled every corner of the container.
Quick Check
If you pour juice into a heart-shaped cup, what shape will the juice be?
Answer
The juice will be shaped like a heart.
We see liquids every day! Water, milk, and juice are the most common ones. Because liquids flow, they can move from one place to another. When you pour milk onto your cereal, the milk flows out of the carton and into your bowl. If you spill it, the liquid spreads out into a flat puddle because it is taking the shape of the flat floor!
Comparing how liquids move on a flat surface: 1. Place drop of water on a plastic tray. 2. Place drop of orange juice next to it. 3. Tilt the tray slightly. Both liquids will flow downward because they are pulled by gravity!
Quick Check
What is one common liquid you might drink at breakfast?
Answer
Milk or orange juice.
Not all liquids flow at the same speed. Some liquids are 'thin' and move very fast, like water. Other liquids are 'thick' and move very slowly, like honey or maple syrup. We can compare their speeds by watching them move. A fast liquid has a high speed, while a slow, thick liquid has a low speed. Even the temperature can change how fast a liquid flows!
Let's look at how temperature changes flow: 1. Take a bottle of syrup from the cold refrigerator and a bottle from the warm cupboard. 2. Pour a spoonful of each at the same time. 3. The warm syrup flows times faster than the cold syrup! Cold makes the liquid parts stick together more, making it flow slower.
Which of these is a liquid?
What happens when you pour a liquid into a new container?
Honey flows faster than water.
Review Tomorrow
In 24 hours, try to name three liquids in your kitchen and tell someone which one flows the slowest.
Practice Activity
Try the 'Spoon Race': Put a drop of water on one spoon and a drop of syrup on another. Tilt them at the same time and see which one reaches the end first!