Which Holds More?
- Chemistry
- Ages 6–8 · Grades 1–2
- Hands-on experiment
What you’ll find out
- Pouring water into a different shape does not change how much water there is.
- Tall does not always mean more.
- Counting cups measures an amount better than looking.
No sign-up and no real names. In the lesson you check your understanding as you read, run the experiment yourself, and practise until it sticks.
Tall is not always more
Fill a tall, thin glass with water, then pour all of it into a short, wide bowl. The water looks much lower, so it seems like less. But it is the same water, and none was spilled. Only its shape changed.
Count the cups
How can you be sure? Measure with a small cup. Pour the glass of water into cups and count: four cups. Do the same with the bowl: four cups again. The same number of cups means the same amount of water.
Curriculum links: NGSS 2-PS1-1 · CCSS 1.MD.A.2