Students in Mr Packs 9th Grade Applied Science recently began a hands-on Water Drop on a Penny Lab to explore the properties of water.

During the activity, students added drops of water to a penny and counted how many drops the penny could hold before the water spilled over. The lab demonstrated surface tension, as well as cohesion, the attraction between water molecules, and adhesion, the attraction between water and other surfaces.

Students also practiced important scientific skills. They collected and recorded data, organized their results in a data table, analyzed their findings, and created graphs to communicate their results.

The activity supports important Science and Engineering Practices, including planning and conducting investigations, analyzing and interpreting data, using mathematics and measurement, constructing explanations, and communicating scientific information.

The simple penny experiment gave students an opportunity to see that science is not just about learning facts—it is also about asking questions, collecting evidence, finding patterns, and sharing what the data tells us.