Try this: food colouring fireworks

Exploring water and making (silent) fireworks.

Here's a neat experiment that explores what happens when oil and water meet.

You will need:

• A big glass bowl filled with water
• A mixing jug
• Measuring spoons
• A mixing spoon
• Food colouring: two colours, if possible
• Cooking oil
• A piece of white paper
• Safety goggles are definitely optional - but an apron might be a good idea in case things get messy!

First, measure out one tablespoon of oil and put it into the jug.

 Next, add a few drops of food colouring.

Mix the oil and the food colouring together.

Carefully pour the oil and food colouring mixture onto the top of the water.



















Now it's time to watch carefully. Hold the piece of paper behind the bowl. Watch as the food colouring blobs burst and sink through the water.

Mix up a second tablespoon of oil with a different food colouring. Add this to the bowl for two colours of 'fireworks'. Enjoy the show!

Things to think and talk about:

What patterns can you see in the water?

What is happening to the food colouring?

What happens to the oil? Can you think why?

Try gently blowing the oil bubbles. What happens?

What happens when two colours mix together?

Can you predict what colour fireworks you will get if you add different combinations of food colouring? Red and yellow? Blue and yellow? Blue and red?










Have fun playing with this experiment and please do share your ideas and firework photos on Seesaw.