Holidays and Traditions

What is the purpose of the color changing milk experiment?Color Changing Milk : Science experiment for kids.

This will become one of your favorite kitchen chemistry experiments.Some strange interactions take place when you mix milk, food coloring, and a drop of liquid soap.You can use this experiment to discover the scientific secrets of soap.

The hands-on learning experience is easy to do and fun.In Steve's book, Naked Eggs and Flying Potatoes, you'll find more hands-on science fun and learn how to turn this activity into an awesome science fair project.

To cover the bottom of the dinner plate, pour enough milk in it.Allow the milk to settle before moving on.

Each of the four colors of food coloring can be added to the milk.The drops should be in the center of the plate of milk.

For the next part of the experiment, find a clean cotton swab.Predict what will happen when the cotton swab touches the center of the milk.It is important not to stir the mix, just touch it with the cotton swab.Go ahead and try it.

Put a drop of liquid dish soap on the other end of the cotton swab.Place the cotton swab in the middle of the milk and hold it there for 10 to 15 seconds.There is a burst of color.It is similar to the Fourth of July in a plate of milk.

If you don't like it, add another drop of soap to the cotton swab.The cotton swab can be placed at different places in the milk.The colors in the milk continue to move even after the cotton swab is removed.The food coloring in the milk moves.

Milk has vitamins, minerals, and tiny droplets of fat suspended in solution.The surrounding solution (the milk) is sensitive to changes in fat and proteins.

The chemistry of that tiny drop of soap is the secret to the bursting colors.Milk fat is a non-polar molecule and it doesn't get dissolved in water like other oils.The polar surface of the micelle connects to a polar water molecule with the fat when soap is mixed in.The fat can be carried by the water because of the soap connection.This is when the fun begins.

The fat molecule bend, roll, twist, and contort in all directions as the soap molecule race around to join up with it.The food coloring molecule are bumped and shoved everywhere during fat molecule gymnastics, giving an easy way to observe all the invisible activity.The action slows down as the soap and milk mix evenly.Milk with a higher fat content produces a better explosion of color because it has more fat to combine with soap.

If there is any more movement, try adding another drop of soap.There are still more fat molecules that haven't found a partner at the big color dance.The process can be started again with another drop of soap.

The experiment should be repeated with water in place of milk.Are you going to get the same eruption of color?The swirling of color, skim, 1%, 2%, or whole milk is produced by what kind of milk.Why?This is the basis of a science fair project where you compare the effect that dishwashing soap has on different liquids.Do you see any patterns in your observations?

Science can be learned at home.The First Law of Motion was written byNewton.While amazing your family and friends, learn about inertia and force.There is a fun science activity that you can do at home.

The Energy Stick can be used to turn your body into a conductor of electricity.Understand the science of electricity and circuits.

The scientific principles of surface area, pressure, and force can be explored with this table-top bed of nails.The Science Fair had a great experiment.

Science can be learned at home.The properties of air, air pressure, and surface tension are shown.Water molecule and surface tension are topics to learn about.There is a fun science activity that you can do at home.