If your children have bobbed for apples at a Halloween event, they have already learned that apples float. They are less dense than water. The volume of an apple is 25% air. What about the parts of an apple? Will they float? Today’s experiment invites children to use the scientific method to discover if the stem, skin, slice, and core of an apple will float.
Before Conducting the Experiment Why Not Read a Book
I love to read books related to the activity we will be working on before starting the activity. Below you will find some books about the scientific method.
Downloading the Apple Parts Scientific Method Worksheet
Once you have downloaded the Exploring the Density of Apple Parts Using the Scientific Method, you can open it up in Acrobat reader. Then you can print out a copy for each of your students.
Exploring the Density of Apple Parts Worksheet
You will notice that each area of the scientific method is in its own box on the worksheet. Before you start the experiment you may want to go over the worksheet with your children. You don’t have to. You could work through the worksheet with your children as they conduct the experiment.
Conducting the Experiment
Purpose
The first step in the scientific method is to set the purpose. Your children will notice the purpose of this experiment is to see if the parts of an apple float.
Research
You will want to show your children that apples float. This will help them to see first hand an apple in the water. You can also share with them that an apple is 25% air.
Hypothesis
Your children will need to predict or hypothesize whether each of the apple parts will sink or float. They can do that by circling the word sink or float beside each apple part.
Experiment
Now it is time to have your children help you decide on how they will find out if each part of an apple will sink or float. The most logical idea would be to place each part in a cup of water, but your children could come up with other ideas. They can record their experiment idea in the experiment box.
Analysis
Your children will then conduct their experiment and record its results. They can do that by drawing a picture of the apple part and where it ended up in the glass. Then they can circle the word sink or float under each cup.
Conclusion
Finally, your children will share whether each of their hypothesis was correct and what they learned during the experiment.
If you like this experiment, here are some more you will love:
Exploring the Five Senses with Edible Slime
Which Solids Dissolve in Water
Build Braille Alphabet Letters with LEGO
Exploring the Density of Grapes with the Scientific Method
