Creepy Density
Materials:
- Molasses
- Inverted sugar syrup
- Water
- Food colouring
- Vegetable Oil
- Small items to test for floating
Now Follow These Steps:
First: Pour each liquid into the glass slowly in this order. Molasses, inverted sugar syrup, water with food coloring and last but not least the vegetable oil.
Next: Drop some small items in and watch which layer they float on.
Finally: Find something to float on each layer, if this hasn't happened already, and come up with reason why each item floats on a particular layer.
Here’s What’s Happening!
Each liquid has its own specific mass of molecules and therefore different densities which allows them to sit one on top of the other. The more dense a liquid is the heavier it is. The liquid with the greatest density will sink to the bottom of the glass.
Density of a liquid is the relationship between the mass of the liquid and how much space it takes up (volume). The items float on liquids of a higher density and sink through liquids of a lower density.
Which is the heaviest or more dense liquid? Which is the lightest or least dense liquid?
Try this experiment again with different liquids and let us know what happened by posting your results to our Facebook Page