We are very interested in mixing things. We wondered what would happen if we tried to mix oil and water. First we tried putting water into a cup and pouring oil on top. The oil floated on top of the water (because oil is lighter). One of our class wondered if the water would float on top if the oil was put in first and the oil addded afterwards. 
We tried this but found that the oil ended up on top of the water, regardless of which order they were put in the cup. Next teacher dropped a few drops of red food colouring on top of the oil. It sat on the oil for a while, then the drops fell down on top of the water and stayed there for a while. Eventually they sank to the bottom where the red colour mixed with the water, in the layer under the oil. 
Our next investigation was whether we could make a lava lamp from the oil, food colouing and water that we had. We found that by dropping a fizzy tablet into the oil and water mix, that we could make a great lava lamp. 
The fizzy tablet dissolved in the coloured water, and the bubbles of gas rose through the layer of oil, taking bubbles of red gas through the oil. This looked very like the lava lamps that you buy, but it lasts only as long as the tablets are dissolving to give off fizz. We didn't need electricity for our lava lamp, as you would with the lamps that you buy. Our next investigation was to test syrup to see whether it is lighter or heavier than oil or water. We got a cup, poured in water and oil, (the oil sat on the top) and then poured in syrup. 
The syrup sank to the bottom of the cup. We are now pretty sure that oil is the lightest, syrup the heaviest, and water is in the middle. We lined up our liquids from lightest to heaviest, and then from heaviest to lightest. 
Our last investigation was to check are the liquids in fact in the right order. We weighed all three to see which is lightest, and which is heaviest. We used a balancing scale to weigh 3 cups of liquid, all with the same amount of liquid in each (we used a ruler to be sure there was the same amount of liquid in each cup) and we found that: oil is lighter than water, 
oil is lighter than syrup 
and water is lighter than syrup. 
This means that oil is the lightest and syrup the heaviest, exactly what we expected having mixed all three in a cup. How interesting!
We tried this but found that the oil ended up on top of the water, regardless of which order they were put in the cup. Next teacher dropped a few drops of red food colouring on top of the oil. It sat on the oil for a while, then the drops fell down on top of the water and stayed there for a while. Eventually they sank to the bottom where the red colour mixed with the water, in the layer under the oil. 
Our next investigation was whether we could make a lava lamp from the oil, food colouing and water that we had. We found that by dropping a fizzy tablet into the oil and water mix, that we could make a great lava lamp. 
The fizzy tablet dissolved in the coloured water, and the bubbles of gas rose through the layer of oil, taking bubbles of red gas through the oil. This looked very like the lava lamps that you buy, but it lasts only as long as the tablets are dissolving to give off fizz. We didn't need electricity for our lava lamp, as you would with the lamps that you buy. Our next investigation was to test syrup to see whether it is lighter or heavier than oil or water. We got a cup, poured in water and oil, (the oil sat on the top) and then poured in syrup. 
The syrup sank to the bottom of the cup. We are now pretty sure that oil is the lightest, syrup the heaviest, and water is in the middle. We lined up our liquids from lightest to heaviest, and then from heaviest to lightest. 
Our last investigation was to check are the liquids in fact in the right order. We weighed all three to see which is lightest, and which is heaviest. We used a balancing scale to weigh 3 cups of liquid, all with the same amount of liquid in each (we used a ruler to be sure there was the same amount of liquid in each cup) and we found that: oil is lighter than water, 
oil is lighter than syrup 
and water is lighter than syrup. This means that oil is the lightest and syrup the heaviest, exactly what we expected having mixed all three in a cup. How interesting!
1 comment:
This is yet another example of simple way Room No students are being exposed to experiential learning.
I'm far away at New Delhi, India but eagerly follow the activities being presented by the students.
Congrats once again.
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