Layered Water: Science Fun

Creative Project Wednesday

Density is a measure of how tightly stuff is packed together.

In this project the liquids that weigh more (have a higher density) will sink below the liquids that weigh less (have a lower density).

Lighter liquids like water or rubbing alcohol are less dense or have less “stuff” packed into them. Denser liquids like corn syrup have more “stuff” packed into them and are heavier.

You Will Need:

Clear Glass or Cylinder
Food Coloring
4 or More Plastic Cups
Some of the following liquids:
Honey
Rubbing Alcohol
Light corn syrup
Water
Vegetable Oil
Water

What to Do:

1. Fill each plastic cup with an inch or two of a different liquid. For example, we filled one cup with an inch or two of water, another cup with same amount of vegetable oil, another with an equal portion of light corn syrup, and the last with same amount of rubbing alcohol.

2. Color the liquids with different food coloring. We colored the corn syrup, the rubbing alcohol, and the water different food coloring. We didn’t color the vegetable oil since food coloring is water-based and will not mix with oil.

3. Pour the liquids in this order so they will layer.

1. Honey, don’t let honey touch sides of glass
2. Light Corn Syrup, slowly slide down side of glass
3. Water , slowly and gently slide down side of glass
4. Vegetable Oil – pale yellow, you cannot add water based food coloring   to oils
5. Rubbing Alcohol, slide carefully down side of glass

Start layering with the honey making sure no syrup touches the side of the glass. Then slowly add the next layers gently down the sides of the glass. To make better layers allow each layer of liquid settle in between adding the next liquids. Then try adding liquids in different orders and guess what will happen?