Get ready for an explosion — of color! Make your own fireworks this Fourth of July with a super-cool science experiment.
What You Need
- Glass jar
- Warm water
- Oil
- Food coloring
- Bowl
- Spoon
What You Do
- Fill the jar with warm water.
- Mix 3-4 teaspoons of oil and
several drops of food coloring in
a bowl. Gently stir using a spoon.
- Pour the mixture into the jar.
- Watch as the food coloring leaves
the oil and explodes in the water
like fireworks!
The Science: How’s It Work?
The oil in the colored droplets is hydrophobic (doesn’t mix with water), so it rises to the surface of the water. The food coloring is hydrophilic (mixes with water), so it escapes from the oil and dissolves. The result: Homemade fireworks!
Fun Fact: Last year, more than 15,000 firework displays lit up the sky on the Fourth of July!
This article was originally published in the July/August 2015 issue of Jack and Jill.