 |
Measure for measure... Making your own sand-timer! - What is time? (Experiment) |
by Mya Kagan (whyzz writer) >> more about the author
Have you ever seen an “hourglass” or a “sand-timer”? These are both old-fashioned ways of measuring time by holding an amount of sand that takes a certain period of time (like “two minutes” or “one hour”) to trickle down from the top compartment into the bottom one!
Here’s how you can make your own sand-timer at home!
Get two empty plastic bottles the same size. Remove the labels from each bottle and make sure they’re both clean and dry, both inside and out.
Trace the size of the opening of one of the bottles onto some heavy paper or cardboard, and then cut it out. Punch or cut a smaller circle in the middle of this piece.
Next, use a funnel to fill one of the bottles about half-way full with sand and then tape the small cardboard circle over its opening, making sure not to tape over the smaller hole punched in its center. Turn the second bottle upside-down, and tape it neck-to-neck with the sand-filled bottle! Make sure to tape them together really tightly with strong tape, or else your sand-timer might not hold together.
Now you are done! Flip the bottles around and watch how the sand filters through! How many minutes does your sand-timer measure? Use it to measure some activities during your day, such as how long it takes to brush your teeth or pick up your toys!