Colored Water Chemistry

Colored Water Chemistry

Skills

observing

communicating

comparing

organizing

Materials

white Styrofoam egg cartons OR light colored ice cube trays

plastic spoons or eye droppers (from vitamin bottles, ISU Bookstore .20 each or Frey Scientific #F18070 12 droppers for $1.90, call (800-225-FREY)

water

food coloring- red, yellow and blue

Doing the Activity

Fill each compartment of the carton/tray half full of water.

Put a drop of red food coloring in one compartment.

Put a drop of yellow food coloring in a different compartment.

Put a drop of blue food coloring in another compartment.

If you are using an eye dropper, practice taking in and squirting out water from the dropper.
- To do this, squeeze the top of the eye dropper and then put the tip of the dropper in one of the compartments of water.
- Let go of the top of the dropper and watch the water rise inside the dropper.
- Move the dropper to another compartment and squeeze the top of the dropper again and watch the water squirt back out.

Start by putting some red in one of the clear water compartments.

Now add another color to the red. What color did you make?

Try mixing some other colors in the clear water compartments.

See if you can answer the following:

blue + yellow =

blue + red =

yellow + red =

Talking it over

What is the best recipe for green? How do you make the prettiest purple?

What is you use a little red and a lot of yellow, will you still make orange?

How many different colors can you make that have red in them?

How many shades of purple can you make?

Can you make the color black?

What's Happening

The primary colors of blue, yellow and red are mixed together in different combinations to make all the other secondary colors.

More Challenges

Use an eye dropper and colored water to make a picture on a white paper towel.

Put the left over colored water in a jar, add a stalk or celery or a daisy and see how the water travels through a plant.

Activity Source

Williams, Robert A. Mudpies to Magnets: A Preschool Science Curriculum. Maryland: Gryphon House, Inc., 1987.

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	Colored Water Chemistry
	Skills observing communicating comparing organizing
	Materials white Styrofoam egg cartons OR light colored ice cube trays plastic spoons or eye droppers (from vitamin bottles, ISU Bookstore .20 each or Frey Scientific #F18070 12 droppers for $1.90, call (800-225-FREY) water food coloring- red, yellow and blue
	Doing the Activity Fill each compartment of the carton/tray half full of water. Put a drop of red food coloring in one compartment. Put a drop of yellow food coloring in a different compartment. Put a drop of blue food coloring in another compartment. If you are using an eye dropper, practice taking in and squirting out water from the dropper. - To do this, squeeze the top of the eye dropper and then put the tip of the dropper in one of the compartments of water. - Let go of the top of the dropper and watch the water rise inside the dropper. - Move the dropper to another compartment and squeeze the top of the dropper again and watch the water squirt back out. Start by putting some red in one of the clear water compartments. Now add another color to the red. What color did you make? Try mixing some other colors in the clear water compartments. See if you can answer the following: blue + yellow = blue + red = yellow + red =
	Talking it over What is the best recipe for green? How do you make the prettiest purple? What is you use a little red and a lot of yellow, will you still make orange? How many different colors can you make that have red in them? How many shades of purple can you make? Can you make the color black?
	What's Happening The primary colors of blue, yellow and red are mixed together in different combinations to make all the other secondary colors.
	More Challenges Use an eye dropper and colored water to make a picture on a white paper towel. Put the left over colored water in a jar, add a stalk or celery or a daisy and see how the water travels through a plant.
	Activity Source Williams, Robert A. Mudpies to Magnets: A Preschool Science Curriculum. Maryland: Gryphon House, Inc., 1987.