8.22.2006

Science Experiment anyone?


I stumbled across this when doing research for work... I really want to try it...
but perhaps I'm just a big dork...
or perhaps I need a playdate with
Abby White?


PSYCHEDELIC SCIENCE MATERIALS:
Glass jar
Water with food coloring added
Vegetable oil
Shaker filled with salt

TO DO:
Fill a glass jar with about 3 inches of water and add food coloring until the shade matches the how to tapestries in your pad. Add 1/3 cup of vegetable oil and wait until the layers settle. Watching carefully, shake salt into the jar while you count to five. The oil and salt should form a glob and sink to the bottom of the jar. As the salt dissolves in the water, the oil should float back to the top. Keep adding more salt to watch the action repeat. As you sprinkle on the salt, watch the globs of oil sink, rest on the bottom, then rise again.

WHAT'S GOING ON & WHY:
At first, the oil floats on the water because it's lighter--or, more accurately, it's less dense than the water. It also doesn't mix with water, so it won't dissolve. The salt, however, is denser than the water and does dissolve. When you shake it onto the oil, it clings and drags a glob to the bottom. In time, however, the salt starts to dissolve in the water. At a certain point, it can no longer hold down the oil blob, which then floats back up to the surface.

1 comment:

  1. I'm intrigued...and homeless tomorrow...maybe tomorrow after Abby's nap we could come over and try it...I can bring the Abby, a glass jar and oil...don't have enough salt...or any food coloring...
    You're gonna love pre-school project time!

    ReplyDelete

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