food colouring
Wintry Science
Tweet Wintry Science Here’s a seasonally related temperature experiment exploring what happens when we freeze oil & water You will need: a clear plastic container, water, cooking oil food colouring (optional), use of a freezer. Instructions 1. Pour some water into the clear plastic container. You can add some blue or green food colouring [...]
Water Molecules on the Move
Tweet This experiment is great for testing if hot water molecules really move faster than cold ones. Pour some water, drop in some food colouring and compare results. A simple classic experiment worth revisiting. What you’ll need: • A clear glass filled with hot water • A clear glass filled with cold water • Food [...]
Mutant Marshmallows
Tweet In the microwave, an ordinary marshmallow will puff up until it’s enormous! You Will Need: marshmallows paper plates or paper towels microwave oven toothpicks (if you want) food colouring (if you want)…and adult supervision. Instructions Put two marshmallows on a paper plate or paper towel. Put the plate in the microwave. Set the timer [...]
Rainbow in a Jar
Tweet Another one that could hardly be simpler, but is also very good science and in this particular version makes a display of wonderful colours. You will need: Blue washing up liquid Corn Syrup Blue and Red food colouring Olive Oil Rubbing Alcohol (Isopropyl Alcohol – available from the chemist) Plus… a spoon measuring cup [...]
Spooky Lava Lamps
Tweet Lava lamps are easy to make, but really impressive for children to watch. You will need: A clear plastic bottle or jar A bottle of vegetable oil Water Alka Seltzer Food colouring (a spooky colour!) Instructions Fill the bottle or jar a quarter full with water. Top up to the (near) top with the [...]
Travelling Nutrients
Tweet Water is often called the Universal Solvent because it can dissolve more substances than any other liquid, often carrying these dissolved particles with it. When water travels through soil, nutrients (food) and dissolved particles travel with the water to be deposited somewhere else. Here is an experiment to visually demonstrate how this process happens. [...]
Fabulous Colour Bubbles
Tweet Learning about the Scientific Properties of Oil and Water Oil and water do not mix, as they have very different properties from one another. This changes how they interact with other materials, such as food colouring. This activity will demonstrate how oil and water are different while creating a beautiful array of colour bubbles. [...]
Spooky Lava Lamps
Tweet Lava lamps are easy to make, but really impressive for children to watch. You will need: A clear plastic bottle or jar A bottle of vegetable oil Water Alka Seltzer or a fizzy vitamin tablet (raspberry is best!) Food colouring (a spooky colour if you’re using Alka Seltzer or you can just use plain [...]
Multi-Coloured Milk
Tweet A ‘kitchen science’ classic. All you need is milk, food colouring, and detergent to make a wonderful wheel of colour. If you add food colouring to milk, not a lot happens, but it only takes one simple ingredient to turn the milk into a swirling colour wheel and here is what you do. You will [...]
Fizzy Fizzics
Tweet Fizzy Fizzics! Why not do a fun science experiment that leaves you with your own fizzy drink to enjoy afterwards! We’ve been here before but we think you can never have enough different ways to investigate making carbon dioxide in the classroom or at home. In fact this update is really chemistry rather than [...]