Biology NAME: ____________________________________________

Ch. 2- Chemistry of Life DATE: _______________

PERIOD: _____________

DROPS ON A PENNY LAB

Take a Guess: How many drops of water can fit on one side of a penny? _______

Review of the Properties of Water:
Complete the sentences with the help of your notes and textbook.

Water molecules are polar because of an uneven distribution of electrons, creating a slightly
negative () charge on the ______________________ atom and a slight positive (+) charge on each
______________________ atom. The attraction between a hydrogen atom of one water molecule and the
oxygen atom of another water molecule is called a(n) _________________________________.
Because of its polarity, water sticks to things. ______________________ is the attraction of water
molecules to different substances. ______________________ is the attraction of water molecules to each
other. The tendency of water molecules to be drawn together results in _____________________________,
which causes water to look like it, has a skin. Substances called surfactants can lower surface
tension by disrupting hydrogen bonding between water molecules.

Materials:
1 penny
1 pipette
Test liquid
Tweezers
Paper towels

Safety Rules:
Never taste chemicals (or other substances) used for a lab experiment.
Keep lids on all containers when not in use.
Clean up spills immediately.
If any substance gets into your eyes or in a cut on your skin, notify your teacher and follow his/her
directions.
Wash your hands before and after an experiment.
Clean up your lab area and materials after an experiment and return materials to their proper
location.

Procedure:
NB: Follow the instructions carefully. Do not skip steps.

PART 1: Perform a CONTROL test for comparison with later results.
1. Rinse a penny in tap water and dry completely.
2. Place the penny on paper towel.
3. Use a pipette to place drops of WATER on the penny (one at a time) until ANY amount of water
runs over the edge of the penny.
4. Record the number of drops for that trial in the table below.
5. Repeat Steps 1 - 4 three more times before calculating your average.

Trial 1 Trial 2 Trial 3 Average






PART 2: Perform tests with the TEST LIQUID.
1. Start with a clean penny. Rinse the penny in tap water and dry completely. Be sure to remove
as much residue as possible - without using soap!
2. Hold the penny with the tweezers provided, then dip it into the TESTING LIQUID. Allow extra
liquid to drip off the penny into the container before proceeding to the next step.
3. Place penny on dry spot on a paper towel. Place drops of WATER on the penny (one at a time)
until ANY amount of water runs over the edge of the penny.
4. Record your observations and the number of drops for that trial in the table.
5. Repeat Steps 1 - 4 three more times before calculating the average.

Trial 1 Trial 2 Trial 3 Average





Data Analysis:
Create a graph using the averages from your data. Label one axis Number of Drops and the other
axis Liquid Tested.























Conclusion
Answer each question related to the experiment.
1. In this experiment what was the independent variable?



2. In this experiment what was the dependent variable?




3. Explain why there is a difference in the average number of water drops between Part 1 (water
only) and Part 2 (water + test liquid) using the following terms: surface tension, surfactant,
hydrogen bond.











4. Compare your results to another groups? Provide at least 2 possible reasons for any
similarities and differences you identified.














Clean-up checklist:
Please do not use an excessive amount of paper towels.

All equipment is rinsed off AND dried.
All paper towels have been thrown away.
Any water on the lab bench or ground has been wiped away.


Teachers initials: _________________ = 3 pts