Convection
Currents Lab
By PresenterMed
Part 1: Pre-lab Questions:
In your notebook, answer the following:
1. What are convection currents?
2. Make a hypothesis:
- How does temperature affect the density of a
fluid? (Use “If, then, because” format).
Part 1: Convection Currents Lab
Follow each step
Step 1
Gather the following materials:
- Wave tank
Step 2
Step 3
Step 4
- hot water (red)
- cold water (blue)
Make sure the plastic divider is in the middle
of the tank.
Pour the hot water onto one side of the tank
and the cold water on the other side of the
tank (about half of a plastic cup full).
Do not fill more than ½ of each side with
water.
Part 1: Convection Currents
In your notebook, answer the following:
1. Record your observations:
Draw a picture of convection currents. Use red to
indicate what happens to heated liquid and blue for
cooling liquid.
2. Was your hypothesis correct? Explain.
- Make sure you talk about how temperature
affects density in your explanation.
Part 2: Convection Currents in the Mantle
Answer the following in your notebook:
1. Complete the “My Planet Diary” on page 264.
*Cut it out and glue in your notebook.
2. How do convection currents occur in the mantle
(hint…hint: look on page 267 of your textbook).
Part 2: Making a Lava Lamp
Follow each step
Step 1
Gather the following materials:
- Plastic cup
- beaker of water
- oil
- food coloring - alka-seltzer tablets
Step 2
Pour water into the bottom of the cup. Then, pour the
oil into the cup.
Step 3
Slowly drop food coloring into the oil. Make sure the
droplets stay in the oil.
Step 4
When instructed, put ½ an alka-seltzer tablet into the
cup.
Part 2: Convection Currents in the Mantle
Answer the following in your notebook:
• Water/oil = asthenosphere
• Droplets of food coloring = rocks in the asthenosphere
• Alka-seltzer = heat
1. Using the information above, explain how the lava lamp
models how convection currents occur in the mantle.
(*Include what you know about heat and density in your
explanation).
2. Complete “Figure 3” on the bottom of page 267 by
placing the words in points A and B. Then, cut out and
glue in your notebook.