Grades K–2 · Everyday Life
How can tea color leave a little mesh basket?
A tea infuser is a small container with many holes. Water can move through the holes and touch the leaves inside. The leaves do not have to float freely around the whole cup.
In the diagramLeaves stay; dissolved color can passmesh basketlarge leaves inside; colored water outside
Some substances from the leaves dissolve in the water. These give the water color and flavor. The dissolved substances move with the water through openings that are much smaller than a leaf.
Most large leaf pieces stay inside because they cannot fit through the holes. The colored water can leave. The basket separates by size; it does not keep everything from the leaves trapped inside.
About this explanation
Starting knowledge: Know that water can pass through small openings and that tea leaves are solid pieces.
Sources
- OXO — Mini Strainer
- American Chemical Society — Steeped in Science: The Chemistry Inside Your Perfect Cup of Tea