How To Make a Rainbow in a Glass Density Demonstration

This project forms nice layers. Try to avoid gel food colorings. You don't have to use lots of different chemicals to make a colorful density column. This project uses colored sugar solutions made at different concentrations. The solutions will form layers, from least dense, on top, to most dense (concentrated) at the bottom of the glass. Difficulty: Easy Time Required: minutes Here's How: 1. Line up five glasses. Add 1 tablespoon (15 g) of sugar to the first glass, 2 tablespoons (30 g) of sugar to the second glass, 3 tablespoons of sugar (45 g) to the third glass, and 4 tablespoons of sugar (60 g) to the fourth glass. The fifth glass remains empty. 2. Add 3 tablespoons (45 ml) of water to each of the first 4 glasses. Stir each solution. If the sugar does not dissolve in any of the four glasses, then add one more tablespoon (15 ml) of water to each of the four glasses. 3. Add 2-3 drops of red food coloring to the first glass, yellow food coloring to the second glass, green food coloring to the third glass, and blue food coloring to the fourth glass. Stir each solution. 4. Now let's make a rainbow using the different density solutions. Fill the last glass about one-fourth full of the blue sugar solution. 5. Carefully layer some green sugar solution above the blue liquid. Do this by putting a spoon in the glass, just above the blue layer, and pouring the green solution slowly over

the back of the spoon. If you do this right, you won't disturb the blue solution much at all. Add green solution until the glass is about half full. 6. Now layer the yellow solution above the green liquid, using the back of the spoon. Fill the glass to three-quarters full. 7. Finally, layer the red solution above the yellow liquid. Fill the glass the rest of the way. Tips: 1. The sugar solutions are miscible, or mixable, so the colors will bleed into each other and eventually mix. 2. If you stir the rainbow, what will happen? Because this density column is made with different concentrations of the same chemical (sugar or sucrose), stirring would mix the solution. It would not un-mix, like you would see with oil and water. 3. Try to avoid using gel food colorings. As you can see in my photo, it is difficult for young children to mix them into the solution. 4. If your sugar won't dissolve, an alternative to adding more water is to nuke the solutions for about 30 seconds in the microwave or to use warm water in the first place. If you heat the water, use care to avoid burns. 5. If you want to make layers you can drink, try substituting unsweetened soft drink mix for the food coloring, or four flavors of sweetened mix for the sugar plus coloring. What You Need:

sugar water food coloring tablespoon 5 glasses or clear plastic cups

How To Grow a Borax Crystal Snowflake

Borax crystals are safe and easy to grow. Do real snowflakes melt too quickly? Grow a borax crystal snowflake, color it blue if you like, and enjoy the sparkle all year long! Difficulty: Average Time Required: Overnight Here's How: 1. The first step of making borax crystal snowflakes is to make the snowflake shape. Cut a pipe cleaner into three equal sections. 2. Twist the sections together at their centers to form a six-sided snowflake shape. Don't worry if an end isn't even, just trim to get the desired shape. The snowflake should fit inside the jar. 3. Tie the string to the end of one of the snowflake arms. Tie the other end of the string to the pencil. You want the length to be such that the pencil hangs the snowflake into the jar. 4. Fill the widemouth pint jar with boiling water. 5. Add borax one tablespoon at a time to the boiling water, stirring to dissolve after each addition. The amount used is 3 tablespoons borax per cup of water. It is okay if some undissolved borax settles to the bottom of the jar. 6. If desired, you may tint the mixture with food color. 7. Hang the pipe cleaner snowflake into the jar so that the pencil rests on top of the jar and the snowflake is completely covered with liquid and hangs freely (not touching the bottom of the jar). 8. Allow the jar to sit in an undisturbed location overnight.

9. Look at the pretty crystals!!! You can hang your snowflake as a decoration or in a window to catch the sunlight :-) Tips: 1. Borax is available at grocery stores in the laundry soap section, such as 20 Mule Team Borax Laundry Booster. Do not use Boraxo soap. 2. Because boiling water is used and because borax isn't intended for eating, adult supervision is recommended for this project. 3. If you can't find borax, you can use sugar or salt (may take longer to grow the crystals, so be patient). Add sugar or salt to the boiling water until it stops dissolving. Ideally you want no crystals at the bottom of the jar. What You Need:

string wide mouth jar (pint) white pipe cleaners borax (see tips) pencil boiling water blue food coloring (opt.) scissors

what is borax??

Borax, also known as sodium borate, sodium tetraborate, or disodium tetraborate, is an important boron compound, a mineral, and a salt of boric acid. It is usually a white powder consisting of soft colorless crystals that dissolve easily in water. Borax has a wide variety of uses. It is a component of many detergents, cosmetics, and enamel glazes. It is also used to make buffer solutions in biochemistry, as a fire retardant, as an antifungal compound for fiberglass, as an insecticide, as a flux in metallurgy, a texturing agent in cooking, and as a precursor for other boron compounds. The term borax is used for a number of closely related minerals or chemical compounds that differ in their crystal water content, but usually refers to the decahydrate. Commercially sold borax is usually partially dehydrated.