This science experiment is a blast of color and FUN!
MATERIALS NEEDED:
- Food coloring
- Glass or jar
- Cooking oil
- Bowl
- Measuring spoon
- Napkin to help clean up any messes.
STEP 1:
Fill your cup ¾ of the way full with warm water.
STEP 2:
In a separate bowl add 3 ½ tablespoons of vegetable oil.
STEP 3:
Add 3 to 4 drops of food coloring. For this experiment, we used 4 drops of each color: red, yellow, blue and green. Use a spoon to gently mix the oil and food coloring together.
STEP 4:
Gently pour the oil mixture into the glass.
STEP 5:
Watch what happens! The food coloring will slowly separate and sink out of the oil and down into the water. When this happens, it will expand and begin to mix with the other colors.
The Science Behind It:
Food coloring dissolves in water, but not in oil. Since the oil is less dense than the water, it will float at the top. The colored droplets will begin to sink because they are heavier than the oil. Once they sink into the water they will begin dissolving into the water (which looks like a tiny explosion!!).