Need an idea for your science/ chemistry lesson? Watch a range of colors come together and form a kaleidoscope in this milk and soap experiment.
We’re ending off our homeschooling year now, and I wanted to include some more fun into our days. Experiments are always the best way because they can be relatively easy but a whole lot of fun!
It’s December and Christmas spirit is high in our house, as I’m sure it is in most households, therefore we used green and red, but I imagine all the colors of the rainbow would look even better.
What you will need:
- Milk (Use different kinds of milk to see if they react differently)
- Liquid soap (use different types/ brands to see if it affects the process)
- Earbuds/ Q-tips/ Cotton buds
- Bowls/ Saucers
- Food coloring (One or a variety – your choice)
Instructions
- First of all, pour a little bit of milk into a bowl and then a couple of drops of your food coloring.
[Try not to move the mix around as it will mix the colors and milk.] - Dip an earbud/q-tip/ cotton bud into the liquid soap and put it into the milk and color mix. Watch your colors come alive!
Why is this happening?
Milk is made up of water and different fat amounts (I used full cream/fat). The liquid soap creates a bond with the fat in the milk. This makes it push out the water and food coloring. The movement is happening to make more room for the fat to meet up with the soap. Watch this YouTube video for more information.
In the second last image, my little one ended up having his own fun with it by mixing everything together.
We hope you enjoy this milk and soap experiment, an easy-to-do chemistry lesson without a lot of effort. PS: Have you seen this Pink Volcano Experiment?
Leave a Reply