3 Fun Science Experiments

Sink or swim?

What you'll need:
Corn syrup
Green and blue food coloring
Water
Vegetable oil
A paper clip
A grape
A plastic bottle top

What to do:

1. Pour one inch of corn syrup into a tall glass or jar, and stir in a drop of green food coloring.

2. Have your child mix a drop of blue food coloring into a cup of water. Let him carefully pour an inch or two on top of the syrup.

3. Add one inch of vegetable oil.

4. Once the liquids have settled into distinct layers, have her drop a paper clip, a grape, and then a small plastic bottle top into the jar

5. Watch how the objects slowly fall and eventually suspend in the different layers.

The science behind it: Corn syrup, water, and oil are all made up of tiny particles called molecules. The more tightly packed the molecules, the more dense -- or heavy -- the liquid. Here, the syrup is the heaviest, followed by the water, and then the oil, which is why they form layers. The same holds true for the objects dropped into the jar, which is why the paper clip sinks to the bottom, the grape hangs in the middle, and the cap floats.