Clear the concept of atoms and molecules with this simple glass candy experiment
DIY STEAM activities or experiments help school goers understand science and maths concepts in the best possible manner. Making edible, stained glass candy is one amazing experiment worth trying out as it helps kids understand physics concepts of how molecules and atoms function under different conditions. Help your school goer carry out this experiment under your supervision.
What you’ll need
- Hard candy in liquid form (either homemade version from corn syrup, sugar, and water or the store bought version such as jolly ranchers)
- Butter paper
- Corn syrup
- Caster sugar
- Cream of tartar
- A non-stick pan
- Food colour
- Water
How-to
Get these on a table, call your kids and talk to them about the importance of heat safety as you’d need to use some really hot substances on the gas stove. Ask the kids to stand a little away from the stove and watch. You can explain or tell them what you're going to do while generating sugar syrup during the exercise (like which ingredient you are using to make sugar syrup, what you are going to add in the sugar syrup, quantity of ingredients you are using, etc.). Here is a step-by-step guide for them to follow:
- Take equal quantities of sugar and water in a non-stick pan and place it on the burner. Turn the flame on and bring it to boil
- Boil the syrup until it reaches the correct stage. You can use a thermometer or some simple home techniques to check whether the sugar syrup has reached to its correct stage or not
- All of the other components, such as corn syrup, food colour, and tartar should be added to the sugar syrup before it reaches the correct level (Light corn syrup is required, or the glass will be excessively dark)
- Bring all the ingredients to a boil (while stirring, keep the burner on medium heat) until the syrup achieves the desired consistency. To keep the ingredients from burning on the bottom of the pan, stir them frequently. The foamy bubbles at the top of the mixture appear when it boils
- Keep the butter paper handy and arrange it on a level surface to assist the candy mixture spread evenly and produce a smooth, lump-free glass candy
- Pour the hot liquid mixture over the butter paper to minimise any bubbles. Since the candy is a little thicker, it would spread easily over the butter paper. Allow an hour for the candy mixture to dry
- Pop the candy out of the butter paper. Flip the butter paper upside down over a table
- Now that the delicious glass candy is ready, ask the kids to cut or break the glass into small pieces as they desire. The edible glass can be cut with a knife.
How did sugar help in forming candy?
To produce a solid shape or structure of any solid substance, all of the molecules and atoms must be in an organised structure. If the atoms or molecules are disordered, the texture takes on a liquid appearance. The same science is used in this case as well. When sugar is heated, it becomes an amorphous solid or edible glass candy, with a translucent and glassy look due to its amorphous nature.