Wrapper Wiggle

Can you make a straw wrapper wiggle and grow?

Ingredients:

The Recipe:

1. While still on the straw, bunch-up your wrapper by sliding both ends of the wrapper together.

2. Slide the bunched-up wrapper off the straw and onto the table.
3. To make your wrapper grow: Dip the tip of one end of your straw into a glass of water. Then place your finger over the other end of the straw. This will trap some water in the tip of the straw.
4. Place the end of the straw with the trapped water directly over the wrapper. When you remove your finger, a little bit of water should drip out and onto the wrapper. Watch what happens!

Food for Thought:

Did you see the wrapper wiggle and grow? Did you also notice that as the water soak into the paper, it slowly absorbed and worked its way along the length of wrapper? But why does water do this. When the small drop of water touched the crumpled wrapper, the water crept from dry paper fiber to dry paper fiber. This particular ability of water to creep along is called capillary action. As each fiber absorbs water, it swells and straightens out, this makes the wrapper get longer and grow.