Magic Milk Colors

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Ages: 5-12

Objective: Introduce children to the concepts of surface tension and chemical reactions by creating a colorful, swirling milk experiment.

Materials Needed:

  1. Whole milk (1 cup)
  2. A shallow dish or plate
  3. Food coloring (various colors)
  4. Dish soap (a few drops)
  5. Cotton swabs or toothpicks

Procedure:

  1. Prepare the Milk:

    • Pour the milk into the shallow dish, making sure it covers the bottom evenly.

  2. Add Food Coloring:

    • Add a few drops of different food coloring colors near the center of the dish. Try to keep the drops close together but not touching.

  3. Prepare the Soap:

    • Dip a cotton swab or toothpick into the dish soap.

  4. Create the Magic:

    • Gently touch the soapy end of the cotton swab or toothpick to the center of the milk, where the food coloring is concentrated. Hold it there for a few seconds and watch the colors burst and swirl around in a vibrant display.

  5. Observe the Reaction:

    • Notice how the colors move and mix on their own, creating beautiful patterns and demonstrating the reaction between the soap and the milk.

Explanation:

  • The experiment demonstrates the effect of surface tension. Milk has fat in it, and the molecules of fat are sensitive to changes in the milk’s surface tension. When you add dish soap to the milk, it reduces the surface tension and reacts with the fat molecules, causing them to move and mix, which makes the food coloring spread out in interesting patterns.

Extensions:

  1. Experiment with Different Milks: Try using different types of milk (skim, 2%, almond, etc.) to see how the fat content affects the reaction.

  2. Compare with Water: Conduct the same experiment with water instead of milk to see how the absence of fat affects the results.

  3. Color Mixing: Use primary colors (red, blue, yellow) and observe how they mix to form new colors during the reaction.

  4. Add Patterns: Use the cotton swab to create additional patterns by gently dragging it through the colors after the initial reaction.

  5. Discuss Surface Tension: Explain the concept of surface tension in more detail and how soap interacts with water and fat molecules.

Safety Note:

  • This experiment is safe, but make sure children understand not to drink the milk after the experiment and to clean up any spills immediately.

This experiment is a fantastic way to visually demonstrate the principles of surface tension and chemical reactions while creating beautiful, colorful art in the process.  

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