Exploring Density with Sugar Water...

Density is a physical property of matter and there are some great explorations for Kid Scientists to build background knowledge.

Ages: This is best for Big Kid Scientists

Materials: 
Food Coloring
Sugar
Small Containers to mix solutions
Eye droppers or pipettes
Film canisters






Procedure:

• Create four different sugar - water solutions, each with a different amount of sugar, but the same amount of water.  We used 1 cup of warm water with 1, 2, 3 and 4 tablespoons of sugar

• Label each sugar solution with the amount of sugar.  We wrote on the plastic container with a dry erase pen (it washes off very easily)

• Once each solution is stirred until all the sugar has dissolved, add a couple drops of food coloring.  Each solution should be a different color

• The purpose of the exploration is to determine the relative density of each solution. Kid Scientists carefully try to layer the solutions into their film canisters.  Adding the most dense solution first will allow a less dense solution to layer.  Adding a less dense solution first causes the two to mix.

• Encourage your Kid Scientists with questions like...What happens when you put red on top of blue?  What will happen if green is on top of yellow?  Predict what happens if blue is in first, what would layer on top? What did you figure out about the green solution?  The blue solution?

•  Extension...try the same exploration with salt water solutions.  What do you notice?  What are the similarities?  What are the differences?

Lava Lamp Reaction...

This reaction is so cool, you're Kid Scientists are going to want to do it over & over!

Ages: This is best for the Big Kid Scientists, though the Little Kids will enjoy watching the reaction

Materials: clean plastic water bottle with lid, vegetable oil, water, food color, Alka Seltzer tablet

Procedure:

* Fill the bottle about 3/4 full of vegetable oil.  (There isn't a specific measurement, but you'll want more oil than water)

* Fill the bottle with water, nearly to the top.

* This is cool...watch what happens to the oil and the water.

* Add about 10 drops of food coloring

* It's also pretty cool to watch what happens with the food color

* Divide the Alka-Seltzer tablet into 8 or 9 small pieces

* Drop the Alka Seltzer pieces into the bottle, one at a time.  Watch the reaction!

* When the reaction is done you can save your bottle with the cap on, and you can run the reaction again with another Alka-Seltzer tablet.

This investigation was originally posted by  Steve Spangler

Exploring Density...

Density is a physical property of matter and there are some great explorations for Kid Scientists to build background knowledge.

Ages: All ages

Materials: Two glass containers - one larger than the other, water, string, food color

Procedure:

• Tie the string around the top of the smaller container
• Fill the larger container with cold water
• Fill the smaller container with hot water and add a couple drops of food color 

• Lower the container with hot, red water into the container with cold water
• Watch what happens

What's Happening? The density of cold water is greater than that of hot water.  The hot, red water pours up, out of the container like a fountain and creates a layer on the top of the glass.

Kid Scientist Extension: Aiden watched this reaction and said, "I have an idea!  I am going to call it 3 Cup Madness and find out about pouring." 

 Using the materials he had, Aiden carried out his personal exploration.  It's not always important that we understand their thinking, or even that they can articulate their question.  Sometimes the best explorations are the ones that come in the moment. 

Celebrate the personal questions of your Kid Scientists!