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September 2, 2014

Super Simple Heat Experiment

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How heat affects things is sometimes difficult to understand. This simple heat experiment shows how heat causes molecules to move faster. {Plus kids think it looks cool.}

A Simple Heat Experiment for Kids

Simple Heat Experiment

Supplies you’ll need:

  • 3 clear jars
  • water
  • food coloring
  • masking tape
  • markers
  • thermometer {optional}

How to conduct the experiment:

  1. Label the jars with the temperatures you are going to use in the experiment. We used room temperature water {about 72°F}, hot water {about 100°F}, and cold water {about 40°F}.
    A Simple Heat Experiment for Kids
  2. Turn on your sink faucet and measure the temperature. Adjust the faucet so the temperature is about 72°F. Fill the jar labeled Room Temperature. Alternatively, you can fill a jar will cool tap water and let it sit out for day. The water will eventually become the same temperature as the room.
  3. Fill the jar labeled Cold Water 3/4 of the way with cold tap water. Add ice to the jar to cool the water even farther. {Or you could place this jar in the refrigerator while you wait for your Room Temperature jar to be ready.} Remove the ice from the jar before finishing your experiment.
  4. An adult should help with the Hot Water jar. Turn on your faucet as hot as it will go. Fill the jar labeled Hot Water with hot water. An adult could also heat up some water on the stove. Just be careful not to make it too hot. {100°F is hot but it won’t burn skin.}
  5. Add a drop of food coloring to each of the jars and observe what happens over time.

heat experiment4

Questions to Ask:

  • What happens to the drop of food coloring?
  • Does the food coloring behave the same in each of the jars? Why or why not?
  • What is different about the jars?
  • What can you say about the relationship between heat and the movement of molecules? {for older kids}

heat experiment3

The Science Behind It

Molecules move faster when they are warmer and slower when they are colder. The drop of food coloring spreads out fastest in the hot water because the molecules are moving the fastest of the three jars. The food coloring spreads out fairly quickly in room temperature water and slowest in the cold water. Eventually the food coloring spreads throughout all three jars.

heat experiment2

More Simple Science Experiments

  • Physics for Kids: Exploring Color and Temperature – Conduct an experiment to find out how color affects the temperature of an object. Even preschoolers can complete the steps of this experiment on their own.
  • This celery science experiment is a great way to make transpiration come alive.
  • Try this simple jumping experiment perfect for toddlers and preschoolers. How far can you jump?

About Trisha Stanley

Trisha is an educator with a passion for science literacy and mom to Aiden and Lily. She's the creator of Inspiration Laboratories, a blog dedicated to encouraging learning through creativity and play, and Read Science, a blog that showcases science activities inspired by children's books.

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Comments

  1. Renee says

    September 7, 2014 at 10:58 pm

    Fabulous experiment! We will certainly be giving this one a try. Thank you 🙂

    Reply
    • Unknown says

      November 19, 2015 at 7:02 pm

      me and my friends are doing this for our science fair project and we didn’t know it was a preschool experiment but we are still going to do it because it looks really cool and it has a lot of things to do with science

      Reply
  2. Michael says

    March 27, 2015 at 11:37 am

    Awesome

    Reply
  3. Pat Muskus says

    November 4, 2015 at 2:20 pm

    Excellent ideas for Kindergarten!

    Reply
    • Megan Sheakoski says

      November 5, 2015 at 7:17 am

      Yes! They would love it!

      Reply
  4. doo dah says

    November 19, 2015 at 7:17 pm

    i like this experiment

    Reply
    • rosina says

      March 20, 2018 at 4:09 pm

      ME TOO.

      Reply
  5. Leia Smith says

    January 6, 2016 at 9:36 pm

    This is an amazing science experiment on temperature for 5th graders, such as myself.

    Reply
  6. Aritri Chaki says

    December 4, 2016 at 7:57 am

    Amazing experiment. I did it in school for extra credit even though I’m in 7th grade and this is a kiddie experiment. Thanks a lot!

    Reply
  7. Greta says

    February 12, 2017 at 8:52 pm

    Thank you for this helpful science experiment!

    Reply
  8. camila says

    February 27, 2017 at 4:46 pm

    I love this experiment so much

    Reply
  9. rosina says

    March 20, 2018 at 4:08 pm

    I TRIED IT IT GOT MY STUDENTS TO UNDERSTAND AT LEAST IT IS BETTER THAN THROWING A BRAND NEW COMPUTER OUT THE WINDOW TO SHOW THEM GRAVITY LESSON

    Reply
  10. crystal says

    September 13, 2018 at 3:31 pm

    it looks fun

    Reply
  11. Ashithendu A says

    October 19, 2020 at 12:00 am

    Awesome Experiment

    Reply
  12. Smile says

    December 7, 2020 at 7:42 pm

    Love your experiment🙂👍

    Reply
  13. D.S. says

    August 18, 2022 at 10:52 pm

    Excellent ideas and simple

    Reply
  14. how says

    January 22, 2023 at 11:41 am

    awesome im in 5th grade but it still work for my project im doing this!!

    Reply
    • Megan Sheakoski says

      January 24, 2023 at 3:23 pm

      good luck!

      Reply

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