A Penny For Your Thoughts: JFK Elementary Students Learn With Lincolns

PORT CHESTER, NY — Sometimes the best things in life are free, but a lesson at this Port Chester school required a penny.

From Port Chester-Rye Union Free School District.

Third graders at John F. Kennedy Elementary School completed a science investigation to determine how many drops of water can fit on a penny. The hands-on experience was part of a lesson on surface tension in Jeni Vogel’s science class.

During the experiment, the young scientists carefully placed individual drops of water on a penny until the penny could no longer hold the water. The exercise not only unveiled the limits of the penny, but also revealed a dome-like shape formed by the water on the surface. This interactive exploration provided a deeper understanding of surface tension, illustrating how water droplets possess the ability to connect and form an elastic layer on the water’s surface.
“The students are beginning to explore how water interacts with different materials,” Vogel said. “They have explored what happens with water on different surfaces, including how some surfaces absorb water and some surfaces are waterproof and cause water to bead up.”
With their knowledge of surface tension, the students are gearing up for their next adventure, during which they will explore the dynamics of water on sloped surfaces.