VDaySteam

Lava Lamp

https://www.steampoweredfamily.com/diy-lava-lamps/

Instructions:

1. Fill the clear plastic cup 1/4 of the way with water. For a lava lamp that will glow under black light use tonic water.

2. Add vegetable oil until the cup is 3/4 of the way full.

3. Add a couple drops of food coloring. 

4. Optional - add glitter or a couple of candy hearts.

5. Add 1/4 tablet of alka seltzer and observe. 

Concepts:

• Density: Why does the oil float on top of the water?

• Diffusion: Demonstrated by watching how the food coloring naturally spreads out in the water over time.

• Fluorescence: Tonic water contains quinine, which fluoresces under a UV light.

Magic Milk

https://littlebinsforlittlehands.com/valentines-day-magic-milk-science/

Instructions:

1. Pour enough milk in the aluminum pie tin to cover the bottom of the pan. It doesn't need to be deep.

2. Place a heart shaped cookie cutter in the middle.

3. Add drops of food coloring scattered around in the milk. You can add different colors to the inside and outside of the heart if you would like.

4. Dip a cotton swab in soap. 

5. Touch the swab to the surface of the milk and observe.

Concepts:

• Surface tension: The fat molecules in the milk tend to stick together. This creates surface tension. Fats are not soluble in water. Soap is a special molecule where one end dissolves in water and the other does not. This allows the soap to break the fat molecules apart, making an emulsion where the fats mix into the water. When this happens the food coloring suddenly spreads out.

Colorful Dissolving Skittles Heart

https://www.redtedart.com/dissolving-skittles-m-ms-experiment/

Instructions:

1. Make a heart shape using skittles on the white plate.

2. Pour warm water onto the plate slowly so that the skittles are not disturbed. Use enough water to cover the bottom of the plate without submerging the skittles.

3. Observe.

Extensions:

How does water temperature affect the results?

Concepts:

• Solubility: The sugar skittle shell is soluble in water.

• Diffusion: Molecules move from areas of high concentration to areas of lower concentration. You can see this happening as the colors slowly spread through the water.

Coffee Filter Chromatography Flowers

https://littlebinsforlittlehands.com/diy-coffee-filter-flowers/

Instructions:

1. Flatten the coffee filter and draw on it with washable markers. You can draws dots, lines or other designs. 

2. Place the filter on a tray and spray lightly with water. What do you observe?

3. Once the filter is dry you can fold it up and wrap tape around the point at the middle of the filter. Shape it into a flower and add a pipe cleaner stem. (Check the link above for pictures of this process.)

Extension:

Do you think this will work with permanent markers?

Concepts:

• Solubility: Washable markers are soluble in water.

• Chromatography: 

  • Solvent: Water

  • Solute: Washable Markers Ink

  • The solute dissolves in the solvent and spreads out as the solvent moves across the filter.