Oil and Water

Something very easy to do, but it will keep kids entertained for quite a while.

What you need:

• jar or bottle with a lid
• oil, eg. vegetable oil
• water
• food dye

What to do:

1. Half fill the jar with water.
2. Add a couple of drops of food dye.
3. Fill the remaining space in the jar with oil. Put the lid on the jar.
4. You will see two separate layers. The water will be coloured with whatever food dye you used. Shake the jar.
5. Watch and wait for the two layers to appear again.
6. You can shake the jar as many times as you like, but the two layers will always come back.

What happens:

Oil and water do not mix. Oil will always move to go on top of the water, as it is less dense than the water (it isn’t as heavy). When you shake the jar, the water and oil might look like they’re mixing, but when you let the jar sit, the layers will separate out. You will be able to see droplets of water in the oil as it sinks back down to the bottom.