How Does The Runoff Experiment Work?

The Runoff Experiment shows how water moves over land and carries things along with it, like a little river on a hill.

Imagine you have a big tray full of dirt, rocks, and plants, kind of like a mini garden. Now, you pour some water onto the top of this tray, just like when you pour water into your bath. The water starts to flow down, taking pieces of dirt and small rocks with it, just like how your bathwater carries soap bubbles and tiny bits of your hair.

Runoff is what we call that moving water, it's like a little stream created by the water you poured in.

As the runoff moves, it can make little rivers or streams, depending on how much water there is. If you keep pouring more water, those streams might get bigger and faster, just like when you add more water to your bath, it gets deeper and flows quicker.

Sometimes, the runoff even takes small bits of soil with it, making the ground look a little less full, like when you dig in the sandbox and some sand falls out. That's how land changes over time!