Octopuses are unique and interesting creatures. Did you know that octopuses can change the color and texture of their bodies very quickly? Follow this octopus on Kanopy Kids and explore how it drifts in the open ocean. Both squids and octopuses have three hearts. Octopuses can multi-task with their tentacles as their small brain is actually a super brain! Read more about this on COSMOS here. Squids, on the other hand have tiny teeth that they use to suck and latch onto almost anything. Squids can be found in the deepest part of the sea. Check out Overdrive and be mesmerized by this giant squid. Did you know that both octopus and squid ink are used mainly for self-defense? Though not poisonous, it can cause a burning sensation in the eyes and mouth of its predators, including humans who consume the ink. Enjoy creating these Cephalopod family experiments at home.
Materials needed:
Directions:
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Step One: Cut out your cephalopods.
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Step Two: Fill your container with water.
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Step Three: Cut open the tip of an ink pen and use a toothpick to remove the ink.
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Step Four: Place ink on the front center of your octopus or squid (about a nice thick dot).
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Step Five: Release it in the water and watch it go!
The ink has a lower surface tension, “a property of liquids that allows them to spread out and flow across surfaces, rather than forming balls or bubbles” (CSC Scientific Blog). This allows the water to create a surface tension gradient that pulls the paper forward. Water is heavier than paper. Find the answer to this question: What would happen? Place a toothpick in your container of water. Did it sink or float? This phenomenon is known as the Marangoni effect, just as the actual squid or octopus releases ink in the open body of water. Cool, right?
