Density Tower in a Jar
Honey, dish soap, water and oil layer by density into stripes, then small objects are dropped in to see where they settle.
Thinking
6–11 years
15–30 min
Calm
Some mess
At home
What you need
- Tall clear jar
- Honey
- Dish soap
- Water (coloured with food colouring)
- Vegetable oil
- Small objects to test (grape, bottle cap, coin, cork)
Setup
- Pour honey into the jar first, then dish soap, then coloured water, then oil, pouring slowly down the side each time
- Let the layers settle before moving on
- Predict and then drop in small objects one at a time
Play prompts
- Which layer do you think this object will stop at?
- Why do you think the layers don't mix together?
- What's the lightest liquid? The heaviest?
Ways to change it up
- Add a fifth layer with rubbing alcohol coloured a different colour
- Make a simple bar chart of where each object landed
Safety notes
- Supervise closely, this uses several liquids and small objects around younger children
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