A parshat Noach science project

This week is full of rainbow things – (see the rest of the parsha ideas for Noach here.)

We decided to try a science project in addition to rainbow cupcakes, coloring pages, a crayon, and more.

I found the idea as well as the science behind it here. It’s a project called a rainbow in a glass. The older boys and I tried this out.

First, we gathered our materials: 4 glasses, spoons, sugar, warm water, and food coloring.

Then, we put one tablespoon of sugar into one glass, three into the next, and five into the third. We added a small scoop of gel food coloring to each cup: red, blue, and yellow. Then everyone stirred.

When it was about as well mixed as we could get it, we added a tablespoon of water and mixed,

then mixed in a total of 3 tablespoons of warm water into each. It’s important that you keep these sugar solutions different concentrations so the layers float – for a while, at least!

Then we carefully poured the blue/heaviest solution into the bottom of the glass. Next came the yellow, pouring over a spoon to try and get it to “lay” on the blue layer. Last came the red.

We should have three layers of colored water, maybe a little mixing in between for our rainbow goodness, right?

Here’s what it should have looked like:

Here’s what ours looked like: twice! (I did it once with the kids and once by myself. Same result.) Pouring is messy!

BUT…we did have a rainbow as we dumped it down the drain…

We think that either the dye was too dark, the water was too warm, or maybe poured in too hard? (I poured over a spoon down the side and then from a dropper to a spoon, but no luck.)

In any case, we had some fun with the parsha. More to come!

Are you doing anything with parshat Noach? (Link has more ideas, but I’d love to hear yours!)

Permanent link to this article: https://organizedjewishhome.com/2012/10/17/a-parshat-noach-science-project/

5 comments

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    • Pnina on October 17, 2012 at 9:39 pm

    Sounds like it was a fun experiment! Well I’ve done rainbow face painting at my kids class for Parshas Noach using only rainbow cakes from my face paint pallets 🙂

      • Amital on October 18, 2012 at 7:35 am
        Author

      That’s a good idea to add in – Thanks!

    • Shuli on October 17, 2012 at 10:49 pm

    oooh this is so pretty! I love the idea!
    I can’t wait till my kids are old enough to try out this kind of stuff- I love science experiments! (But I’m enjoying them as toddlers too 🙂

  1. This is a favourite experiment that I do with my grade nine and grade eleven science/chemistry classes to teach about density. In my experience, the problem you had is very common and is usually the result of two things: pouring technique and amount of sugar.

    If you were using a dropper, that might not be the problem, but you could always try it again. I might pour it slowly down the side of the glass. One system I have used is pouring into a straw (use a funnel if you have) that is standing in the glass so that you put in the layers from least dense to most dense (i.e. put in red, then yellow, then blue). This way, layers go to the bottom when poured in so they are fighting gravity when they spread.

    But the easiest way to fix it is, I think, to just up the amount of sugar in each colour. Try 1 tsp, 10 tsp, and 20 tsp. This should make things a lot easier or 1 tsp, 20 tsp, and 40 tsp if you can make it work with the amount of water you are using.

    I might also try using a taller, thinner glass because it minimizes the surface area available for mixing but keeps the volume of liquid high. Even a plastic water bottle is good… though I wouldn’t drink this…but maybe your kids will 😉

    Hatzlacha!
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      • Amital on October 18, 2012 at 7:44 am
        Author

      Hi Samantha-

      We used 1, 3, and 5 Tablespoons (3, 9, and 15 teaspoons), and I thought that was a lot of sugar!

      I did try using a dropper the second time and went down the side, but since I poured out a rainbow, I wonder if I used to much dye and it was just all too dark?

      In any case, thank you for the tips (and I’m sure that everyone who is considering attempting this thanks you, too.) I especially like the idea of adding the lighter liquid first and then working down. I think that would be better than what I did!

      Still, a fun project and interesting!

      Amital

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