Liquid density tower: A fun DIY experiment for your kids
Placing books and clothes on a shelf is ordinary. But try stacking different liquids instead. It is common knowledge that oil and water are immiscible liquids and therefore, float without mixing. The idea of colourful liquids floating on top of each other without mixing or changing colours sounds absurd, but it is very much possible. It is a great DIY activity for kids to understand molecular composition and density while playing around with colours. Here’s how your budding science expert can make a liquid tower:
What you need
- Honey
- Corn syrup
- Maple syrup
- Dish soap
- Milk
- Water
- Vegetable oil
- Rubbing alcohol
- A transparent jar or tall glass
- Spoon
- Dropper
- Liquid food colouring
Step-by-step guide
- From most dense to least dense, arrange your liquids as follows: Honey, corn syrup, maple syrup, milk, soap, water, oil, and finally rubbing alcohol. Pour a centimetre or so of the densest material, honey, into your jar to begin. Keep the fluid away from the jar walls.
- After that, add about a centimetre of corn syrup. Allow the honey and corn syrup to separate for a few minutes.
- Pour liquids in from the most dense to the least dense. Starting with the maple syrup, use a spoon to gently pour the liquid and prevent it from mixing with the other layers.
- To avoid mixing, start with the soap layer and use a dropper to gently place the next layer on top of the previous.
- Dye the water with one of the food colours of your choice to distinguish between the liquids.
- Adding the rubbing alcohol in the end, meaning the topmost layer. The liquid column is now ready.
- Remember to measure equal parts of each liquid to ensure consistency avoid mixing. Let’s say 1/4th of a cup or 1 centimeter according to the jar.
How liquid density works
All matter is composed of molecules that make up the structural components for solids, liquids, and gases. Every molecule has its density depending upon the molecular composition and air spaces between the molecules. In this case, the density of a liquid is a measure of how heavy the liquid is to sit on top of another liquid. Density is defined in terms of body mass or how compact a structure is. An anchor is denser than water which is why it sinks, whereas, an air bubble is less dense. Therefore, it floats. Honey is the thickest and dense. It is placed at the bottom of the jar so it does not mix while rubbing alcohol is the lightest of them all. Each layer in the column contains a different density, creating the colourful immiscible liquid tower.