Station 15: Convection Currents

MOVING WATER

What Happens? 

The red colored hot water rises into the cold water jar.

Why?

• Cold water is heavier than hot water.
• The cold water goes down into the bottom of the jar pushing the hot water up in small currents
• when you heat up water, the water molecules start moving around faster. They bounce of each other and move further apart.
• Because there is more space between the molecules, a volume of hot water has fewer molecules in it. it weighs a bit less than the same volume of cold water. so hot water is less dense than cold water.
• When you put the two jars together with the hot water on the bottom, the hot water rises to the top.
• Along the way, it mixes with the cold water and makes purple water.
• When the cold water is on the bottom, the water does not mix. the hot water does not have rise - its already on the top!