Thank you so much for visiting our booth at Boo in Wahoo! We are so sorry that we ran out of this year's Spider Parachute activity. Please click here to find out how to do the experiement at home with only a few supplies.
Also on that page are some links to all the exciting things we are doing with Saunders County Extension and the Mobile Science lab!
Candy Corn Science Experiments
Get more information about joining 4-H by clicking here.
Dancing Raisins
Supplies:
Raisins, separated from each other
Club soda or any other clear soda like 7 Up or Sprite. Use an unopened bottle for best result
Tall clear glass, empty
Instructions:
- Fill the glass with clear soda, about 3/4 of the way full
- Drop 2 to 3 raisins into the glass.
- What do you see? Are the raisins sinking or floating?
- Wait patiently and watch the glass. You'll notice bubbles forming on the raisins, slowly this will cause the raisins to rise to the surface. Once they reach the surface, the bubbles will pop sending the raisin back to the bottom.
- Your raisins will keep 'dancing' until the soda goes flat - when all of the carbon dioxide has escaped.
The Science Behind The Dancing Raisins
Curious to know what made raisins dance? Let’s learn the science behind this experiment to know why the raisins danced.
Density:
When the raisins were dropped into the soda, at first, they sank to the bottom of the glass. This happened because the raisins are denser than soda. Objects with a higher density sink, while those with lower densities float.
Carbon Dioxide Bubbles And Buoyancy
Soda is a carbonated drink, so it has carbon dioxide bubbles in it. These carbon dioxide bubbles attach themselves to the rough surface of the raisins and lift them up. This happens because of an increase in buoyancy. Once the carbon dioxide bubbles reach the surface, they burst and release their gas into the air. Then the raisins lose their buoyancy and fall back to the bottle of glass. The raisins’ up and down movement continues until all the carbon dioxide is released into the air and the effervescence stops.
More Science Fun
Try this same experiment with objects that do not have a wrinkled surface like blueberries or grapes. Do they rise in the soda the same way the raisins did?
Instead of using soda like 7Up or Sprite, try using baking soda dissolved in water and vinegar. Dissolve two teaspoons of baking soda into a half cup of water. Add 6-7 raisins to the baking soda/water solution. Slowly pour a tablespoon of vinegar into the mixture and watch the raisins dance! (This version of the experiment could make a mess, so put your cup into a shallow dish, like a pie pan, before adding the vinegar).
Sources: https://coolscienceexperimentshq.com/dancing-raisins/ and https://funlearningforkids.com/dancing-raisins-science-experiment-kids/
Floating Letters
Supplies:
M&M candies or Skittles candies
Several small plastic or glass bowls
Very warm water
Several spoons
Instructions:
- Place one M&M of each color in individual containers.
- Slowly pour enough water into each container to cover the M&Ms.
- Watch the colors dissolve off the M&Ms.
- Which color dissolves the fastest and slowest?
- After the M&Ms sit in water for a bit, you’ll see the translucent shell and the letter “m” float to the surface of the water.
The Science Behind the Floating “m” of the M&M Experiment
The colored dyes on the shell of the M&Ms are water-soluble. Meaning, they are able to dissolve in water. The hard shell and the edible paper “m,” however, are not water-soluble.
As a result, after the colored dyes have dissolved, the hard shell and the “m” separated from the chocolate and floated in the water.
Sources: https://www.acs.org/content/dam/acsorg/education/outreach/ncw/event/2014/floating-letters.pdf and https://littlebinsforlittlehands.com/floating-m-mm-candy-science-experiment/
Sink or Float Candy Experiment
This is a great way to work thru an experiment, make predictions and then document your results!
Supplies:
Containers with water (fill only halfway) - any clear container works as long as big enough for the candy you select
Variety of candy
Instructions:
- Complete the table below with your candy selections and your predictions. Or click here for a printable version.
- Unwrap your candy.
- Place your candy one at a time into the container with water. What happened? Document your results.
- Remove candy from the water. Either use a new container or reuse the same one - changing the water if dirty.
| Candy |
Prediction (Sink or Float) |
Result |
The Science Behind the Sink or Float Candy Experiment
Anything more dense than water (like sugar) will sink, while things that are less dense than water will float. Basically, density is how compact an object is. Put another way, density = mass of an object (how heavy it is) / by its volume (space it takes up).Source: http://www.readingconfetti.com/2013/10/sink-or-float-candy-science.html
Magic Pumpkin Science
Supplies:
Reese's Pieces
Hot Water
White Plate, glass or plastic
Instructions:
- Arrange Reese's Pieces into the shape of a pumpkin on your plate.
- Slowly pour hot water on the outside edge of the pumpkin. You only need enough to cover the bottom of the plate.
- Sit back and watch the water work its magic!
The Science Behind It
The shell of the Reese Pieces are made with food coloring and sugar.
When the candies come in contact with the hot water, that sugar dissolves into the water and the colors spread across the plate, filling the pumpkin.
Source: https://www.playdoughtoplato.com/magic-pumpkin-science/
Candy Corn Science Experiments
Supplies:
Bag of candy corn
3 jars or glasses
Warm water
Microwave
Freezer
Candy Corn Science Lab Printable (found by clicking link)
Instructions:
Candy Corn and Water:
- Make predictions on your lab sheet
- Add warm water to your jar or glass
- Add some candy corn to the container
- Document what happens on your lab sheet
Candy Corn and Heat
- Make predictions on your lab sheet
- Add some candy corn to your jar or glass - do not add any water!
- Microwave for 45 seconds
- Document what happens on your lab sheet
Frozen Candy Corn
- Make predictions on your lab sheet
- Add some candy corn to your jar or glass
- Freeze your container for at least 2 hours
- Document what happens on your lab sheet
Source: https://www.coffeecupsandcrayons.com/candy-corn-science-experiments/
Pumpkin Catapults
Supplies:
- 7 craft sticks (wide craft sticks are easier for little hands to hold.)
- 4 rubber bands
- 1 small cup (We used the top to a juice container.)
- A hot glue gun
Instructions:
- Stack 5 crafts sticks on top of each other and bind them at both ends with rubber bands. This will act as the base and fulcrum - the point at which the lever will pivot.
- Stack the remaining 2 craft sticks and bind them with a rubber band at the very edge of one end.
- Pry open the 2 craft sticks to make a "V" shape (keeping the rubber band on other end)
- Place the stack of 5 craft sticks at the very bottom of the "V" and secure with another rubber band.
- Glue a small cup to the top of your "V" - a little bit in from the end of the stick.
- Test it out! Are there better ways of holding your catapult that make it work better? Is there anything you can do to improve it?
Source: https://www.playdoughtoplato.com/pumpkin-catapults/
Clamshell Skittles
Supplies:
- Skittles
- Microwave-safe plate
- Microwave
Optional Supplies:
- Aluminum foil-lined baking sheet
- Oven
Instructions:
- Place the Skittles on the plate and microwave them for 1 to 2 minutes. (Alternatively, place the Skittles on the baking sheet and melt them in the oven at 350°F for about 5 minutes.)
- Do the Skittles crack open like clams?
The Science Behind This:
Since the insides of the Skittles are soft, they contain more water than the outside sugar shells. This means the insides will soften faster when they get hot, spilling out the sides.
Do some of the Skittles open up like clamshells? Perhaps the hot candy on the inside is creating steam, which pushes up the tops of the Skittles.
Source: https://www.parenting.com/activities/stem/easy-science-fair-projects/
Candy Wrapper Crafts
Links to projects to make with your candy wrappers:
Get more information about joining 4-H by clicking here.