Easy Primary 5 Science Water Cycle Experiment to Do at Home
- AGrader Learning Centre
- Jul 11
- 5 min read
Understanding the water cycle is a crucial part of Primary 5 Science, and many students—and even parents—struggle to fully grasp the invisible processes happening in nature. Concepts like water vapour, evaporation, condensation, and precipitation can seem abstract when only read from a textbook. That’s why a simple, hands-on water cycle experiment can be a game-changer.
If you're a parent helping your child prepare for P5 science water cycle questions or a student trying to make sense of your P5 science water cycle notes, this article is for you. We’ll walk you through an engaging, at-home experiment that illustrates key scientific processes while also touching on the common challenges pupils face—like understanding what evaporates faster, how substances behave during evaporation, and how the temperature of the water and surface area affect the results.
Let’s dive into a practical activity that makes learning the water cycle for Primary 5 truly stick!
Table of Contents:
Why Do a Science Water Cycle Experiment at Home?
For most Primary 5 students, reading through science notes may not be enough. They need to see and experience concepts like losing heat, gaining heat, and rate of evaporation to fully understand how the water cycle works.
This simple experiment addresses common learning gaps:
What actually evaporates?
What happens to non-water substances during evaporation?
How do temperature and surface area affect evaporation and condensation?
How does this relate to natural water bodies like rivers and lakes?
Let’s look at how this experiment makes it easier to understand the amount of water that evaporates and what happens to it during its journey through the cycle.
Objective of the Experiment
The main aim of this P5 water cycle experiment is to help students:
To observe the evaporation and condensation processes, which take place during the natural water cycle
To find out whether non-water substances, such as ink dye, evaporate with water
Hypothesis:
Do you think that non-water substances (like ink dye) will evaporate with water?
Pick one of the following hypotheses below!
Non-water substances will evaporate with water.
OR
Non-water substances will not evaporate with water.
Variables:
Changed Variable: Presence of ink dye in hot water
Examples of Constant Variables: Size of plastic cups, Volume of hot water added into each cup, Duration that both set-ups of hot water are left to evaporate and condense
Measured Variable: Colour of water droplets on the inner surface of the top cup
Materials You’ll Need
Simple household items are all you need for this water cycle experiment:
500ml of hot water
4 identical plastic cups
Food colouring (acts as ink dye)
A spoon for stirring
Procedure: Step-by-Step Instructions
Follow these easy steps to recreate the experiment at home:
Fill two cups with 250ml of hot water each.
In one of the cups, add a few drops of food colouring. Stir until the water changes colour.
Place the two empty cups directly on top of the two cups containing hot water. You may want to gently tape them in place or just hold them steadily.
Wait and observe for about 15–20 minutes.
Record your observations on the inner surface of the top cups.
Observations and Results:
You will notice water droplets forming on the inner, cooler surface of the top and bottom cups.
But what about the colour of the water droplets that were formed? You can record your observations in a table like the one below:
Explanations and Conclusions
How did the water droplets form?
The hot water evaporated into water vapour, which then rose and came into contact with the cooler inner surface of the top cup. Upon contact, the water vapour lost heat and condensed, forming tiny water droplets.
This mini experiment mirrors the natural water cycle. In nature, water from water bodies such as lakes and rivers gains heat from the sun and evaporates into water vapour. As this vapour rises, it encounters the cooler air in the atmosphere, loses heat, and condenses into tiny water droplets. These droplets come together to form clouds, which are made up entirely of condensed water.
When the clouds become too heavy, the water droplets fall as precipitation—in the form of rain, snow, or hail—completing the cycle.
Additionally, for both cups, the water droplets formed are colourless. This shows that the ink dye from the food colouring did not evaporate together with the water! Hence, we can conclude that non-water substances do not evaporate together with the water.
Similar to the natural world, rainwater is free of any impurities, as only water from water bodies evaporates, and any other substances, such as salt in seawater, are left behind!
Real-World Application: How It Mirrors Nature
This experiment is a mini-version of what happens in our environment every day:
Water bodies like rivers and lakes absorb heat from the sun.
Water evaporates faster when warm—this is why warm water in our experiment works better.
As the water vapour rises and meets the cooler air, it loses heat and forms clouds (condensation).
When enough water droplets gather, they fall as rain.
This helps students connect classroom science with what they observe outside on a rainy day or a hot afternoon.
Common Mistakes to Avoid
Using cold water – You won’t see much evaporation. Use hot water to clearly observe the process.
Not sealing the cups well – Ensure the upper cups are stable and in contact with the vapour.
Expecting coloured droplets – Remember, only water evaporates, so droplets will be colourless.
The Primary 5 science water cycle topic is not just about memorising terms—it’s about understanding how the natural world works. This water cycle experiment transforms dry notes into an exciting discovery journey. It not only reinforces science concepts but also encourages curiosity, observation, and analytical thinking.
AGrader’s Primary 5 Science Tuition Programme is built to guide students through this transition. Every lesson is aligned with the MOE syllabus and goes further—breaking down complex concepts, sharpening answering techniques, and building a solid foundation for Primary 6 and the PSLE.
Beyond weekly classes, our EverLoop Improvement System gives your child unlimited access to past lessons, exam practice packs, topical revision materials, and foundational exercises. It’s a complete support system that fills learning gaps, builds confidence, and strengthens Science skills over time.
Don’t wait until Primary 6 to act. Give your child the head start they need. Enrol in AGrader’s Primary 5 Science Tuition Programme today—and help them turn Science into a subject they can truly master.
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