Alpha science classroom：Create Underwater Fireworks with Chemistry

There will be a beautiful fireworks display at Christmas. Although children usually look up to the sky to watch fireworks, do children know there is another way to watch fireworks? Today, Alpha Science Class teaches children to use chemistry to create underwater fireworks, but in this children's chemistry experiments activity, we will use underwater chemical reactions to photograph color bursts together. Although it is not exactly the same as a real firework, you will be shocked by the explosion of colors you see. Curious about what it looks like? Children can do it themselves in this kid's science experiment and witness the miracle together!

Alpha Science Classroom: Creating underwater fireworks with chemistry, Materials needed

• Two clear glasses (or cups)

• Cooking oil (such as vegetable oil or canola oil)

• Water

• Fork

• Spoon

• Food coloring (any color)

• A dropper or straw

• Two small bowls

• A soup spoon

• A work area that will tolerate food coloring, water and oil spills

Alpha Science Classroom：Using Chemistry to Create Underwater Fireworks, Step by Step Tutorial

Step 1: First, children add one tablespoon of oil and one tablespoon of food coloring to a small bowl. Use a fork to mix the two liquids. How does the liquid look after mixing the two solutions? Are the two liquids mixed?

Step 2: Children pick up the cup of water and place it next to the small bowl. Using a dropper or straw, suck up some of the oil-food-color mixtures and carefully drop a drop into the water cup. What happens when the drop of oil falls into the water? Does the drop of oil float to the top, or does it sink to the bottom of the cup?

Step 3: Children drop more of the mixture into the water until your small bowl is empty. Does the food coloring change the color of the water? How does it look? How long does it take for the water to change color completely?

Mix the contents of the water cup with a spoon or fork. Does the solution look different after mixing?

Clean the dropper or pipette.

Step 4: Children add one tablespoon of water and one tablespoon of food coloring to a second small bowl. Again, use a fork to mix the two liquids. How does the mixed solution look? Are the two liquids miscible?

Step 5: The children pick up the oil cup and place it next to the small bowl. Using a washed dropper or straw, suck up some of the water-food coloring mixtures and carefully drop a drop of water into the oil. What happened to the drop of water this time? Did it float or did it sink?

Add more of the water-food coloring solution to the oil. Did the oil change color because of the food coloring? How did the mixture look?

Finally, mix the contents of the oil cup with a spoon or fork. How did the mixed solution look different?

Alpha Science Classroom: Using Chemistry to Create Underwater Fireworks, Scientific Principles

The alpha science classroom tells the kids that, as you may have experienced, oil and food coloring don’t mix well. This is because food coloring is a polar liquid, while oil is non-polar. If you mix the two, you will see a large amount of food coloring droplets dispersed in the oil, but the two liquids will not mix. When you add this mixture to the water in the glass, the oil will not mix with the water because it is also a polar substance. The oil will form a separate layer on top of the water-oil is less dense than water (or lighter than water). Food coloring is also heavier than oil and can mix with water and sink to the bottom of oil droplets or oil layers. Once it reaches the oil-water interface, it will begin to mix with water molecules through a process called diffusion.

The underwater fireworks are very beautiful and unique. I believe that children have witnessed the whole process of this amazing children's chemistry experiments, and I hope that this children's chemistry experiments activity in the alpha science classroom will let children explore the mystery of science. Children can also take pictures of the kid's science experiments and send them to their dearest friends to witness the most beautiful science together.

Alpha science toys have prepared an equally amazing chemistry experiment kit for children so that they can explore the magic of science at home and grow up to be the most powerful "science wizard" in a fun way.