If you like being out on water but aren’t keen on waves, you might want to consider bringing some olive oil with you.  In this mini spark you will see that just one tablespoon of olive oil poured over water can spread out within minutes, calming the waves around you.

Spark your thinking!

1. Set up your science mini spark recording page: #29: Calming the Waves

2. Watch this teaching video. Record all of the vocab words from the video on your recording page. Add a short definition.

3. Read these questions to get prepared for the next video.

• Why does the olive oil spread into a layer one-molecule thick?
• Why does oil calm the waves on the surface of the lake?
• How does Dr. Greg Kestin use the lake experiment to calculate the size of one molecule of olive oil?
• What is invisible glass? What are its practical applications?

4. Watch this PBS video.  As you watch the video, you will hear the answers. Record each of the answers on to your recording sheet.

5. Share your STEAM mini spark recording page with your teacher/EY coordinator.