Coin Drop

Dropping a coin into the small glass may seem like an easy task, but as your students will find out, it really isn't that simple. Two principles, refraction and viscosity, can affect the path the coin takes. Refraction occurs when water bends light, making the small glass appear to be somewhere it isn&'t. Viscosity is the water&';s resistance to motion. The water's viscosity changes its motion and alters its path, which affects the coin’s path. Explore refraction and viscosity as you try to drop 5 coins into a small glass of water.