This simple experiment demonstrates how plant roots absorb water and transport it to the rest of the plant.
Materials:
Fresh celery stalks with leaves
Clear cups or jars
Water
Food coloring (different colors if you like)
A knife or scissors (adult supervision recommended)
Optional: Dry erase marker or tape
Instructions:
Prepare the Celery: Choose fresh celery stalks with leaves, as the lighter inner stalks work best. With adult supervision, carefully trim about a quarter inch off the bottom of the celery stalks. This opens up the plant’s “drinking tubes”.
Prepare the Water: Fill the clear cups or jars about halfway with water. Add several drops of food coloring to each cup, creating different colored water. The more food coloring, the more vibrant the results will be.
Place the Celery: Place a trimmed celery stalk into each cup of colored water. Ensure the bottom of the stalk is fully submerged.
Observe:
Prediction: Ask the children what they think will happen to the celery. Will the color go anywhere?
Observation: Check the celery every few hours and at least once overnight. Note any changes you see. You’ll notice the colored water being drawn up the celery stalk.
Final Inspection: After 24 hours, take the celery out of the water. You’ll see the color reaching the leaves. You can also cut the celery stalk in half to see the colored water inside, demonstrating the tubes that carried the water.
How it Works:
Plants absorb water through their roots, a process similar to how the celery absorbs the colored water.
The water travels up tiny tubes within the plant called xylem.
This movement of water is called capillary action, where water is drawn up the narrow tubes, similar to how water climbs up a paper towel.
As the water evaporates from the leaves (a process called transpiration), it pulls more water up from the roots, creating a continuous flow.
In this experiment, the colored water makes it easier to see how water travels through the plant.
Tips for Children:
Use a dry erase marker to mark the water level on the cup to track water uptake.
Take pictures of the celery at different stages of the experiment to create a visual record.
Compare the results of different colors, noting which colors are most visible.
Discuss the importance of roots for plants and why plants need water to grow.
This experiment provides a fun and engaging way for children to understand the vital process of water absorption in plants.
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