How to Make a Water Filter as a Science Experiment

If you are looking for a summer or rainy day activity to do with your kids try making a water filter. It is a good way to teach kids about the importance of water conservation. One way to conserve water is to clean it and reuse it. This water filter will teach your kids about one of the processes that water purification plants use.

Difficulty: Easy

Instructions

Things You'll Need:

• Napkins
• 2 liter soda bottle
• Gravel (aquarium gravel will work)
• Sand
• Dirty water
• Cheese cloth
• Rubber bands

1. Cut the soda bottle in half, and remove the lid. Put three layers of cheese cloth over the narrow mouth of the bottle and use rubber bands to hold them in place.

2. Put the top half upside down into the bottom half.

3. Put a layer of sand in the top half of the bottle followed by a layer of sand.

4. Get some dirty water. If you do not have dirty water you can make some water dirty by using cooking oil, dirt, bits of food, etc.

5. Pour dirty water into the top half of the bottle. It should run through the sand and gravel, out the cheese cloth and come out clearer in the bottom half of the bottle.

Tips & Warnings

• Make sure that an adult cuts the bottle in half. This water filter is just an experiment and should not be used for drinking water.

References

• PBS Kids
• Science and Technology for Canadians

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