Alright, they made density tubes.The picture at left, demonstrates what a proper density tube should look like. Some of ours were not quite so successful.
However, this one came out pretty good.
The idea came from here. And like any Booth & Dimock event or good science experiment, we altered it slightly.
The density tubes required the following items--our modifications are in parenthesis:
Lamp Oil (left out)
Rubbing Alcohol (died red)
Vegetable Oil (some added green food coloring to the vegetable oil. However, the different densities between oil and food coloring left this combination with a lava-lamp like look)
Water (some used purple water)
Dish Soap (Green and Blue were available)
Karo SyrupHoney
Adding the ingredients in bottom to top order will make the cleanest tubes, but some of the items will settle correctly due to their density--no matter what order we added liquids, the honey always settled to the bottom, eventually. Some of the other liquids, difficult to see due to the addition of similar colored food coloring, mixed together in the center of the tube.
Also, if too much time elapsed after the addition of the dish soap and water/rubbing alcohol were added, and before any of the other ingredients (besides honey) and some shaking occurred, bubbles ruined the nice clean look as well.
For more easy and exciting experiments, check out one of these books (available at the Booth & Dimock Memorial Library):
YNF 507.8 CON
And for great experiments, not easily attempted at home (or even at the Library) try the Mythbusters DVDs.
