Science Buddies, please read this FIRST before you work on the mission together with your young scientist. CLICK HERE FOR INFORMATION FOR SCIENCE BUDDIES ONLY.
Mission 5.1: Milk Rainbows
This idea is from Steve Spangler, Scientific American, and Science Buddies
What You Need
What To Do
Watching the video will help you set up this activity, but also spoils what happens. Use the directions below if you want to do this without watching the video..
This idea is from Steve Spangler, Scientific American, and Science Buddies
What You Need
- a pie plate or deep plate
- milk
- food coloring or liquid watercolors
- dish soap
- cotton swabs
What To Do
Watching the video will help you set up this activity, but also spoils what happens. Use the directions below if you want to do this without watching the video..
- Pour milk into a pie plate so there is a layer of milk across the entire bottom of the container.
- Choose 4 different colors of food coloring. Place a drop of each color in different quarters of the plate. These can be in the center or in the middle of the plate. Different placement will give you different effects.
- Dip a cotton swab into the dish soap.
- Place and hold the soap dipped side of the cotton swab into the center of the milk and hold it there.
- I would recommend holding it in place the first time you do this activity so that you can see how things react. If you do it again, you can move the cotton swab to different areas on the plate to see what happens.
- When you are done, you can pour all liquids down the drain. Wash all dishes and clean up your work space.
- Don't forget to do a Mission Report!
What's Going On?
Read the explanation on the Steve Spangler website under How Does it Work.
What's Next?
Try some of the options for further experimentation that they mention at the end of the video.
Read about how soaps work from EcoNuts
Find out more about surface tension with MIT.
Read the explanation on the Steve Spangler website under How Does it Work.
What's Next?
Try some of the options for further experimentation that they mention at the end of the video.
Read about how soaps work from EcoNuts
Find out more about surface tension with MIT.
Mission 4.2: Marbled Paper
This idea is from ChemTAG and The Artful Parent, 2
What You Need
What To Do
Watch the video below from The Artful Parent for step-by-step directions
This idea is from ChemTAG and The Artful Parent, 2
What You Need
- Foam-type shaving cream
- a deep dish
- newspaper, table cloth, or plastic to cover the table you will be working on!
- cardboard pieces
- food coloring or liquid watercolors
- Toothpicks or chopsticks to gently stir the top
What To Do
Watch the video below from The Artful Parent for step-by-step directions
What's Going On?
The shaving cream is hydrophobic. The food coloring is mostly water. Paper is hydrophilic. The food coloring sits on top of the shaving cream. It will mix with other colors, but it will stay on the surface. The water will attract and hold the water/food coloring when it comes in contact with the surface of the shaving cream/food coloring. The food coloring gets transferred to the paper and makes the amazing marbling effect!
What's Next?
Frame this art and share it with a friend!
Save a piece of our art to add to your Mission Report.
The shaving cream is hydrophobic. The food coloring is mostly water. Paper is hydrophilic. The food coloring sits on top of the shaving cream. It will mix with other colors, but it will stay on the surface. The water will attract and hold the water/food coloring when it comes in contact with the surface of the shaving cream/food coloring. The food coloring gets transferred to the paper and makes the amazing marbling effect!
What's Next?
Frame this art and share it with a friend!
Save a piece of our art to add to your Mission Report.