Water Pressure

Did you know that there is a lot of water pressure in the ocean. This is because water is heavy and when there is lots of water there will be lots of pressure. Deep in the ocean the pressure is so great that if we went down there our bodies would be crushed.

This week the Year 3 and 4 students are investigating water pressure.

For the first experiment we put out hands into a plastic bag and then into a bucket of water.
This is what some of the students said...

"The water is pushing onto my arm."
"The plastic bag is being crushed onto my arm."
"I can feel the water pressing on my arm."
"It is hard to push my hand down into the water because of the water pressure."

Mr Gough joined in with the investigation. He noticed that it was hard to make a fist with your hand with all the water pressing on it.

For the next investigation about water pressure students filled up a milk bottle with water. The milk bottle had holes down the side. Students had to think about why water flowed further out of some holes than others.

"The water comes out of the bottom hole faster than the top holes because the water is pushing down. This makes the water come out further."

"There is more water pressure at the bottom because the water on top is pressing down. "