PROCEDURE 1-- Activity

1. Fill the aquarium or clear bucket with cold water.
2. Fill your jar with hot water and then add several drops of blue food coloring to the hot water. Place the lid on the jar, but do not tighten it.
3. Hold your thumb on the lid to keep it in place. Then lower the jar to the bottom of the aquarium.
   1. Predict what will happen to the hot water if the lid is removed.
4. While holding the jar on the bottom, use your thumb to push the lid from the jar.
5. Observe what happens to the hot water.
   1. Make a drawing to show what happens when the hot water meets the cold water.

PROCEDURE 2 -- Answer the following questions in complete sentences. Be specific.

1. What happened when the lid was taken off the jar and the hot and cold water met?
2. Compare the drawings that you created with you lab partners. What is different? Same?
3. Do you think that the same thing would happen again? What if we had hot water in the aquarium and a jar of cold water? Would all the hot water rise? Why or Why not?

This lesson was adapted from:

Mallinson, G.G., Mallinson, J.B., Froschauer, L., Harris, J.A., Lewis, M., & Valentino, C. (1991). Science horizons -- The teacher edition. Morristown: Silver Burdett & Ginn, Inc. [ISBN: 0-382-17257-4]

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