1. Sand in a Bottle
Christina L. Wood

2. Objective:
Students will know how the terminal
velocity of particles change with
respect to size, shape, and density in
a fluid.

3. This laboratory will help students understand this graph
from the Regents Reference table.

4. Materials:
• Clear bottle (4 litter soda bottle).
• 3 to 4 cups of sediment from clay sized particles up
to large enough to be able to fit in the hole of the
bottle, it must include a range of sizes.
• Water to fill bottle, approximately halfway.
• A funnel deposit the sediment into the bottle.
• Time piece
• Spread sheet to gather data and make a graph of all
the students’ data

5. Use a funnel to add sediment to the bottle.

6. Add water, approximately halfway up the bottle.

7. Put the lid on the bottle.
Shake the bottle for approximately 1 minute.

8. Place the bottle on the table and do not disturb.

9. Observe the deposition.
After 1 minute pebbles and sand are deposited.

10. After a half hour the one on the left had the silt
particles out of suspension and the silt in the
bottle on the right were out 5 minutes later.

11. Spread sheet of data
#1 #2
particle size (cm) time (min)
Pebbles 1 0.01 0.01
Sand 0.1 0.1 0.1
0.01
Silt 0.001 60 65
Clay 0.0001 600 700

12. Graph of Data
10000
1300
1000
100
35
cool water
10
hot water
1
Pebbles Sand Silt Clay
0.1
0.1
0.01
0.01