Create this fun science experiment using materials right from your kitchen. This activity is a great way to learn about chemical reactions, and the power of hand-washing!
Best for children age 3 and up
What you'll need:
- Small or medium bowl
- ½ cup of milk
- Dish soap
- Cotton swab
- Food coloring, more than one color
- Optional: pepper
Questions to answer while experimenting:
What do you know about milk? What do you know about soap?
Using what you know, what do you think will happen when you add the soap to the milk?
Optional:
Try this using milks that are at different temperatures
Try different kinds of milk (e.g. whole milk and skim milk)
Sprinkle pepper on the milk before you add the soap—see what happens!
STEP 1: Pour milk into a bowl and wait for the milk to be very still.
STEP 2: Add and space out drops of different food coloring in the bowl.
STEP 3 : Dip the end of a cotton swab in dish soap (only use a small amount). Touch the end to one of the dots of food coloring in the milk.
STEP 4: Add dish soap to another cotton swab. Touch another dot. Keep trying and watch what happens!
STEP 5: Share your experiments on Instagram and tag the Museum @sdcdm320!