By Blog Editor Susan Wells
For this week’s Sick Science! Summer Camp we experimented with density using sugar and water. Usually around this time of the summer we are looking for indoor activities to do on a rainy summer day. This summer has been extremely hot and dry across the country. Many areas are facing severe drought situations.
So instead of a rainy day activity, we hunkered down inside to stay out of the midday sun and 100 degree temperatures.
This experiment teaches a lesson in density and supersaturated liquids. Do your children like to dump spoonfuls of sugar into their Kool-Aid or a giant scoop of Gatorade powder into a glass of water like mine do?
Time to take out the sugar and demonstrate what happens when you add 14 spoonfuls of sugar to one small cup of Kool-Aid.
Instead of using Kool-Aid, we used colored water, but either one will work.
For this experiment, everything you will need is found in your kitchen. Hence, the name Kitchen Science, but you knew that. We used materials from Steve Spangler Science, because well you know why. I’ll list the kitchen supplies, but if you are interested in the SSS supplies, visit the Sugar Water Density Tower experiment for a complete list and more of the science behind the activity.
You will need 4 short glasses and one tall, clear glass, a dropper, sugar, water, measuring spoons, and food coloring or Kool-Aid.
Start by filling each glass with about a cup of warm water. The exact amount isn’t as important as each glass having the same amount of water. Then color the water with either food coloring or Kool-Aid. In the first cup, add 2 tablespoons of sugar, in the second add 4 tablespoons of sugar, third add 6 tablespoons of sugar and in the last add 8 tablespoons of sugar. Label each cup with the amount of sugar added. Mix the sugar into the water until it is completely dissolved. If the sugar doesn’t dissolve, the solution is over saturated and you must supersaturate it by heating the water. Place the cup of water in the microwave and heat for 10-20 seconds. Stir again. Repeat the process until the sugar is dissolved.
Once your sugar is dissolved, start by adding the most dense solution to the bottom of your tall glass. Why do you start with the most dense?
Density is mass divided by volume, but what does that mean? Mass is how many atoms are in an object and volume is how much space an object takes up.
Basically, the more sugar in the water, the more sugar molecules are in the space, the more dense the solution.
So start with the most dense cup – the 8 tablespoons. Fill the bottom of the glass at least an inch to two inches high.
Here comes the tricky part. Add the next dense solution – the 6 tablespoons on top of the 8 tablespoons solution. This will take a lot of patience and a steady hand. Place the dropper end right above the water line and against the glass. Start slowing dripping the water droplets onto the first layer. It will take several drops before you start to see a new layer forming.
Look closely and you will see the lesser dense solution dripping into the more dense solution below it and then rising up. The colors may mix a little bit, but keep going, your true color will start to show itself.
Repeat these steps for the remaining colors.
What happens if you mix up your rainbow density tower when you are finished? The sugar will mix evenly into the water and the rainbow will disappear. So be careful!
Now try this experiment with different liquids or mixtures. Will it work with baking soda? Salt? What if you try different ingredients like sugar water, salt water, oil and layer them on top of each other?
Na Mhariri wa Blogi Susan Wells Kwa ajili ya wiki hii Sick Sayansi! Katika kambi ya majira ya joto tulijaribu kutumia sukari na maji. Kwa kawaida wakati huu wa majira ya joto tunatafuta shughuli za ndani za kufanya siku ya majira ya joto yenye mvua. Majira ya kiangazi yamekuwa ya joto na kavu sana nchini kote. Maeneo mengi yanakabiliwa na ukame mkali. Kwa hiyo, badala ya kufanya kazi wakati wa mvua, tulikimbilia ndani ya nyumba ili tuepuke jua la mchana na joto la digrii 100. Jaribio hili linafundisha somo kuhusu wiani na umajimaji mwingi. Je, watoto wako hupenda kutupa vijiko vya sukari katika Kool-Aid yao au scoop kubwa ya gatorade poda katika glasi ya maji kama yangu kufanya? "Kama unavyoona, ni wakati wa kuchukua sukari na kuonyesha nini kinatokea wakati wa kuongeza ""kikombe kidogo cha Kool-Aid"" na ""kikombe kidogo cha sukari.""" Badala ya kutumia Kool-Aid, tulitumia maji yenye rangi, lakini yoyote itafanya kazi. Kwa ajili ya jaribio hili, kila kitu utakachohitaji kinapatikana jikoni mwako. "Kwa hivyo, jina la ""Kitchen Science"" linatokana na ""kitchen science"" na ""kitchen science"" ni jina la kitchen science." """Tumetumia vifaa kutoka kwa Steve Spangler Science, kwa sababu unajua kwa nini." "Kama unajua, kuna ""Sugar Water Density Tower"" ambayo ni moja ya majaribio ya kwanza ya kisayansi ya maji ya sukari, na ni moja ya majaribio ya kwanza ya kisayansi ya maji ya sukari." Unahitaji glasi nne fupi na glasi moja ndefu, glasi moja safi, dripper, sukari, maji, vipimo vya kupimia, na rangi ya chakula au Kool-Aid. Anza kwa kujaza kila glasi kwa kikombe cha maji ya joto. Kiasi halisi si muhimu kama kila glasi kuwa na kiasi sawa cha maji. Kisha rangi maji kwa rangi ya chakula au Kool-Aid. Katika kikombe cha kwanza, ongeza vijiko viwili vya sukari, katika kikombe cha pili, ongeza vijiko vinne vya sukari, katika kikombe cha tatu, ongeza vijiko sita vya sukari, na katika kikombe cha mwisho, ongeza vijiko nane vya sukari. Weka alama kwenye kila kikombe kwa kiasi cha sukari iliyoongezwa. Changanya sukari na maji hadi iwe imeyumbuliwa kabisa. Kama sukari haina kuyeyushwa, ufumbuzi ni juu ya saturated na lazima supersaturate yake kwa joto maji. Weka kikombe cha maji kwenye microwave na joto kwa sekunde 10-20 Changanya tena. Rudia utaratibu huo hadi sukari iwe imeyumbuliwa. Mara tu sukari yako itakapomalizika, anza kwa kuongeza suluhisho lenye unene zaidi chini ya glasi yako ndefu. Kwa nini unaanza na yenye unene zaidi? Uzito ni wingi kugawanywa na kiasi, lakini hiyo inamaanisha nini? Misa ni idadi ya atomu katika kitu na kiasi ni kiasi cha nafasi kitu inachukua. Kwa mfano, kiasi cha sukari katika maji, kiasi cha molekuli za sukari katika maji, na kiasi cha maji katika maji. Kwa hiyo, anza na kikombe cha 8 cha mlo. Jaza sehemu ya chini ya glasi kwa angalau inchi moja hadi inchi mbili juu. Sasa inakuja sehemu ngumu. Kuongeza suluhisho dense ijayo - 6 tablespoons juu ya suluhisho 8 tablespoons. Hilo litahitaji subira nyingi na mkono thabiti. Weka mwisho wa dropper juu ya mstari wa maji na dhidi ya glasi. Anza polepole matone ya maji juu ya safu ya kwanza. Itachukua matone kadhaa kabla ya kuanza kuona safu mpya ikifanyizwa. Angalia kwa makini na utaona kwamba mchanganyiko mdogo wa maji unaingia ndani ya mchanganyiko mkubwa ulio chini yake na kisha unainuka. Rangi inaweza kuchanganyika kidogo, lakini endelea, rangi yako ya kweli itaanza kujionyesha. Rudia hatua hizi kwa rangi zilizobaki. Nini kinatokea kama wewe kuchanganya juu ya mnara wako upinde wa mvua wiani wakati wewe ni kumaliza? Sukari itachanganyika kwa usawa ndani ya maji na upinde wa mvua utapotea. Kwa hiyo uwe mwangalifu! Sasa jaribu jaribio hili kwa umajimaji au mchanganyiko tofauti. Je, itafanya kazi pamoja na soda ya kuoka? Je, ni chumvi? Kwa nini usijaribu kutumia viungo tofauti kama maji ya sukari, maji ya chumvi, mafuta na kuziweka juu ya kila mmoja?