Today's Tip for Families

11-02-2022

Show Your Child How Nerves React

Here's a fun science experiment to help your child learn more about how nerves work.

You'll need three large bowls. To conduct the experiment:

  1. Fill one bowl with ice water. Fill a second bowl with water that's hot—but not scalding. Fill the third bowl with room temperature water. Fill the bowls without your child looking, and don't say what temperature water is in which bowl. To catch any spills, place the bowls on plates.
  2. Have your child place one hand in the hot water and one in the cold water. Wait about a minute.
  3. Have your child remove the hand from the hot water, and then put it into the bowl of room temperature water.
  4. Ask, "Is the water hot or cold?" After your child answers, do the same thing to the "cold water hand." Ask the same question.

Your child's "hot water hand" will feel cold. The "cold water hand" will feel hot, even though the water in the bowl is at room temperature. Why? Nerves adapt to the environment around them. When the hands go from one temperature to another, the nerves sense the change in temperature relative to what they are used to. The hot hand feels cooler, and the cold hand feels warmer.


Brought to you by:

Webster County Schools

[School Success Ideas for Families]

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