Water Jets

What you need

• Small plastic drinks bottle
• Some water
• Drawing pin

Instructions

1. Use the drawing pin to make three small holes about 4mm apart at the bottom of the bottle and one near the neck
2. Fill the bottle with water and put the top on (tip: cover up the top hole to stop the water shooting out of the bottom three)
3. With the top hole uncovered, three water jets will shoot out of the bottom holes. What happens when you smear the jets together with your thumb, near the holes?

Results and Explanation

Once the jets have been smeared together they stay together due to surface tension.

These experiments have not been specifically safety tested for home use but we believe them to be safe if the instructions are followed. Adult supervision or direction is recommended as appropriate. All experiments are carried out at your own risk.