If you have a can of Coke and Diet Coke, they are the same size – it says so right on the cans. But we observe a difference very easily.
What you need:
- can of Coke
- can of Diet Coke
- large container of water, deeper than the height of the cans
What to do:
- Place the can of Coke into the water. It will sink to the bottom.
- Place the can of Diet Coke into the water. What happens?
What happens:
The Diet Coke will float. Coke and Diet Coke are fairly similar. But Coke contains sugar, whereas Diet Coke contains sweetener. This small change in ingredients causes the densities of the two drinks to be different, with the coke having a greater density than water, making it sink, and the Diet Coke being less dense than water, resulting in it floating.
Back to Home Science activities.