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How to Make an Aquifer in a Bottle

Whether natural or manmade, aquifers contain porous materials, like gravel, sand and silt, that attract and hold groundwater. When they contain wells, they also provide drinking water. One way to show students how an aquifer works is to make a simple model in a bottle.

Things You'll Need

2 liter plastic soda bottle
Utility knife
Stiff plastic tube
Sand
Pea-sized gravel
Large, heavy books
Small plastic bowl
Plastic cup
Food coloring

Instructions

- 1
  Rinse the bottle, removing the label and adhesive as well. Remove and discard the cap.
- 2
  Cut a 4-inch-wide hole in one side of the bottle, from the shoulder of the bottle to the bottom, using the utility knife.
- 3
  Stack three or four heavy books on top of each other and place the bottle on its side on top of them, with the hole on top.
- 4
  Slip a plastic tube vertically into the bottle, holding it upright against one side of the hole with your thumb. This will be the "well".
- 5
  Hold the bottle in place with one hand and fill it with a 3-inch layer of sand. Add 2 or 3 inches of pea-sized gravel on top of that. Keep the bottom of the plastic tube on the bottom of the bottle so the model "well" is not contaminated. Let go of the bottle; it should stay in place.
- 6
  Place a small plastic container directly below the mouth of the bottle. This will catch "ocean runoff" if the aquifer overflows.
- 7
  Fill a plastic cup with water and add food coloring. Pour the water into the aquifer and watch what happens. The "well" should fill, and some runoff should drip into the "ocean". You can also overfill the aquifer to watch how floods form.

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