Color Mixing Lab II

An Invitation to Explore How Color, Water, Vinegar, Snow, and Baking Soda React in Our "Color Mixing Lab."



For the last two weeks we have been experimenting a lot in our lab.

I have a set of test tubes I purchased from Amazon, and in a previous post we named it

"Color Mixing Lab."

So far most of our explorations have been using different colored waters in test tubes to make new colors, or potions.

When we came back to school after break, we had snow, so I filled their test tubes with snow.

First we did our color mixing the way we usually do, and then I asked them to observe what happens when they add their colors to the snow.

What they were discovering was that while the colors in the water mix right away, they take time mixing when in the snow, and they were able to make "rainbow tubes."

They then had a ball coloring the bowl of snow with their left over colored water.

On Another day I set up a new invitation to investigate color mixing.

This time they had a tray with tubes of baking soda, and in two of the compartments of the tray I put vinegar and in one I put water.  Let the fun begin!

The children first picked the colors they wanted to add to their different liquids, at this point in time they didn't know that they were different types of liquid.

As their tubes started to fizz and bubble, they soon realized something was different.

We have played with baking soda and vinegar a lot, so once they saw the reaction, they knew what it was, but holding it in a test tube was the most fun I think they have had doing this experiment.



They also started to notice that one of the colors they would use would not fizz, this was the tray compartment that had the water, so they started making their own conclusions about water not fizzing in baking soda, just the vinegar.

The magic and wonderment of their fun is clear on their faces!

Continuing through the week, we did more experimenting.  This invitation was to see how both the baking soda and the snow react to their color mixing.

The joy and the sharing are wonderful to see.

 Young scientist at work

Similar conclusions were made, water in baking soda does not fizz, vinegar in snow does not fizz, just the vinegar in the baking soda.

And to add to the fun, they then dumped all their experiments into the bowl of snow to see what happens.  I am excited to see what next will happen next week!

Responses from the children:

"It's like magic." MN
"Oh it's so pretty...look, look, it is bubbling." EP-B
"We are making adult drinks, mine is fizzy root beer."-JP
"Look, look it is changing colors."-SG
"It's fizzle hot."-MN
"Woo, I made the cap fly off, he, he." -EM
"It's poison ivy drink.
"This is called Red, Pepper, Boo, Boo." -JP