Super Star Scientist

Blake!

Experiment: Blobs in a Bottle

Objective:  Which liquid is more dense?

Materials: water, oil, food color, and alka seltzer 

Blake had her materials displayed, her safety equipment on, and was ready to show us her experiment.

First, Blake and her assistant, Mom, poured oil into the 2 bottles with water in them.  

 Blake waited patiently while the thick oil poured through the funnel.

  

Next, while her assistant poured oil into the 2nd bottle, Blake added blue food coloring to the 1st bottle.

Notice how none of the liquids mix together!  The water goes to the bottom, the oil floats to the top, and the food coloring sits in the middle!  This is because they all have different densities. 

Our scientist did the same to the 2nd bottle but with red food coloring instead.

After that, Blake added alka seltzers to both bottles.

The alka seltzer creates a gas which will float the color to the top and when the gas escapes, they mix.

Conclusion:  Each liquid has a different molecular polarity, or density, and will not mix until a gas is introduced.  It floats to the top and escapes, the the heavier liquid falls back to the bottom.

This was so fun Blake!

Great job!