🧪 Science with Sarah: Make a water strider 🐞

👉 Watch the video of Sarah’s school science experiment here!

Hello parents, teachers and students! If you’re looking for fun way to help your students understand ecology, this experiment is for you!

Be sure to check out GMSA@9 on Wednesdays when Meteorologist Sarah Spivey does the demonstrations and explains the science behind it.

HERE’S WHAT YOU’LL NEED

• Thin, copper wire
• Scissors
• Water
• Plate
• Googly eyes (optional)
• Food dye (optional)

DO THE EXPERIMENT

• Cut three pieces of wire about 4 inches long
• Twist the middle of the wires to combine them together
• Curl the wires upward on each of the “legs” of the water strider. Here’s what it should look like ⬇️

• Put some water into the plate, and place the water strider on top of the water. It should float. If it doesn’t try adjusting the legs. It should look like this ⬇️

HOW IT WORKS

Water Tension

Molecules of water string together. At the surface of the water you can see this connection on the legs of the water strider. The wires are light enough and cover enough surface area to prevent the strider from sinking.

Water Strider Ecology

Water striders developed the capability to float on the surface of the water so that it is easier for them to catch their prey -- other bugs that sink and get caught in the water!

SCIENCE WITH SARAH

If you’d like Sarah and David to come to your school and conduct a science experiment live on KSAT, email sciencewithsarah@ksat.com.

Parents and guardians: upload a video of your child performing the activity by clicking here. Send it in and you might see it on GMSA @ 9 a.m.!