I know everyone is home with the kids during this pandemic of COVID-19. Homeschool is a lot different than being taught in a classroom with teachers and other students. We have to step up and be their teachers so they don't fall behind. The best way for children to learn is by making it fun. Being able to learn while they are playing is such an important thing to recognize.
This skittle experiment is such a fun way to practice your science skills at home in only a few minutes. It doesn't even take a bunch of chemicals that are unsafe just some skittles, a plate, and a bowl.
How To Make
1. Collect your materials
2. Line up your skittles around the plate. You can practice your pattern skills. How many different patterns can you come up with only 5 different colors of skittles?
3. Pour in your water enough to fill the bottom layer of the plate
4. Watch the magic as a rainbow fills your plate!
5. When you are done, draw your rainbow on a piece of paper to keep it forever.
How does this experiment work? Like most candy, Skittles are coated with food coloring and of course sugar. When you pour the water over the skittles the coating starts to dissolve into the water. As the dye dissolves it colors the water the same color as the skittle.
Why do the colors not mix? Each skittle has the same amount of sugar being dissolved into the water. As the skittle starts to dissolves the sugar pushes outwards, sending the color outwards as well until they all meet in the middle.
This experiment can also be done with other types of candy. If you were to repeat this experiment with M&Ms and jelly beans which candy would dissolve faster?