Hey there! Today, we’re going to learn about how plants drink water. You might already know that plants need water to live and grow. But have you ever wondered how water gets all the way to the tops of tall trees or other plants? Let’s find out by doing a fun experiment with something you might have at home: celery!
To do this experiment, you’ll need:
First, fill about half of your cup with water. Then, add at least five drops of food coloring to the water. The more you add, the easier it will be to see the results later. Now, ask a grownup to cut off the bottom edge of the celery stalk so it’s fresh.
Place the celery in the colored water. Now, here’s the tricky part: you’ll need to be patient and wait at least a full day to see what happens. Put your experiment somewhere safe and out of the way.
After a day, take a close look at the leaves at the top of the celery. Pick up the stalk and check the bottom edge that was in the water. Do you see any changes?
If you used enough food coloring and waited long enough, you should see that some of the leaves have changed color to match the water. The bottom of the celery might have changed color too!
The water moved through the plant! The colored water traveled up the celery stalk. We know this because the leaves changed color, and you can see the color throughout the stalk, especially if you break it in half.
This movement of water happens all the time in plants. Water leaves the plant from the top through tiny holes in the leaves, which pulls more water up from below. It’s like a chain of water particles pulling on each other from the top to the bottom of the plant.
In our experiment, the water moved from the leaves into the air. The water particles stuck to each other and moved through the stalk, dragging the food coloring with them. The color stayed in the celery, helping us see the special parts of the plant that move water around inside it. These parts are called the xylem, which look like tiny tubes or pipes.
Now that you’ve done this experiment, you can try others! Does the type of food coloring matter? What if you split the bottom of the celery stalk and put each half in different colored water? Would this work with a different plant or a flower? The possibilities are endless!
Try this experiment at home or at school, and share your results with us. And don’t forget to join us every Monday and Wednesday for more science fun and experiments! Bye for now!
Colorful Flower Experiment: Try using a white flower, like a carnation, instead of celery. Place the flower in a cup of colored water just like you did with the celery. Observe what happens to the petals after a day. Do they change color? Why do you think this happens? Discuss with your friends or family how the flower drinks water and compare it to the celery experiment.
Water Path Drawing: Draw a picture of a plant and use a blue crayon or marker to trace the path that water takes from the roots to the leaves. Label the parts of the plant, like the roots, stem, and leaves. Show how the water moves up through the xylem. Share your drawing with a friend and explain how plants drink water using your artwork.
Observation Walk: Take a walk outside with a grownup and look at different plants and trees. Try to spot the leaves, stems, and roots. Talk about how each plant might drink water. Can you find any plants that look like they might be drinking a lot of water? Why do you think so? Write down or draw what you see and share your observations with your class.
