Week 1: Red, White and Blue!
With July 4th this weekend, we wanted to share a patriotic-themed science experiment!
Red, White, and Blue Reaction
Materials:
- Cardstock
- Dish Soap
- Baking Soda
- Vinegar
- Red and Blue food coloring
- Large Jar
- Duct tape
- Scissors
- Tray
Directions:
- Cut the card stock into two pieces: One piece should be big enough to fit across the center of the jar and reach from top to bottom. The second piece should be the same height but half as wide. Tape these pieces together using the duct tape and place it in the jar. This should create 3 sections within the jar.
- Add a few tablespoons of baking soda to each section.
- Squirt some dish soap on each pile of baking soda.
- Add a few drops of red food coloring to one section, and a few drops of blue food coloring in a second section.
- Place the jar on the tray- this is optional, but makes for easier cleanup!
- Pour vinegar into each section of the jar and watch the chemical reaction take place! The colors will swirl together. You can continue to add vinegar to each section until the reaction stops.
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Why It Works:
Baking soda and vinegar react with each other because of an acid-base reaction. Baking soda is a bicarbonate (NaHCO3) and vinegar is an acetic acid (HCH3COO). One of the products this reaction creates is carbon dioxide.
This activity was located on Kindergarten Worksheets and Games
Scientific explanation obtained from UCSB Science Line