Science Saturday . . . Density Column
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Stack different liquids with different densities in a tall glass to visually demonstrate how density allows an object to sink or float.
What you will need:
- Tall glass
- Medicine dropper
- Honey
- Corn syrup/pancake syrup
- Dish soap
- Water
- Oil
- Rubbing alcohol
- Three colors of food coloring
Instructions:
1. Discuss density with your student. What does density mean? How does density affect sinking and floating? What is the density of water? Do they know the density of any other substance?
2. Explain that you will be making a density column using liquids of different densities. Show them the liquids you will be using and let them guess which ones are more dense and which ones are less dense.
3. Explain that you will be poring the liquids into the glass starting with the densest and ending with the least dense liquid.
4. Pour a layer of honey into the glass. Make sure it does not run down the sides of the glass.
5. If the corn syrup is the light kind, mix it with food coloring to differentiate it from the other liquids. If no, pour it as is over the honey.
6. Color the dish soap with another color and pour it over the corn syrup,
Have fun . . . If you have other fun science experiments/ demonstrations, please send them in to us at Holly@TutoringK12.com and we will share them
