Fun With Color and Liquid!

A Lesson on Viscosity

Sparkling Water

Canola Oil

Hydrogen Peroxide

White Vinegar

Apple Cider Vinegar

Blue Agave

The students will utilize a science notebook to record their data and findings.

Additional to the notebook, a data chart measuring the time it takes for the food coloring to finish falling will be completed.

Students will also take photographs of or draw their own pictures that depict each liquid’s degree of viscosity.

Formative Assessment

Liquid Time at original temp

Time after temp

manipulationSparkling Water

Canola OilHydrogen Peroxide

White VinegarApple Cider

VinegarBlue Agave

Data Collection

Students will utilize stop watches and magnifying glasses to accurately record their data in their data tables.

They must use their skills in unit conversion to make sure that their data makes sense and is consistent and organized.

Math Integration

The teacher will introduce the activity by having a class-wide discussion about density, viscosity, and food coloring. Has anybody experimented with food coloring before? What do you do after the initial drop to make the coloring spread evenly? What makes a liquid sticky? How does the speed at which a liquid leaves the bottle effect how food coloring will spread when dropped in it?

5 E Model - Engage

Now it’s time to explore! Allow students to freely explore the

materials in front of them. Encourage them to try different combinations of coloring and liquids to see how results might vary.

Possibly mix liquids of different viscosities together to see how it might change things.

5 E Model - Explore

5 E Model - Explain The teacher should use this opportunity to explain

the main vocabulary word, viscosity: Each fluid has its own degree of friction against the

container that it is being poured out of. It is the liquid’s resistance to flow that determines its viscosity.

5 E Model - Explain

In their science notebooks, students will answer questions about the experiment:

How did the liquids react to the addition of food coloring? How does the speed at which the liquid comes out of its

original container indicate how the food coloring will dissipate?

Categorize the liquids by their viscosity. What makes certain liquids more viscous than others?

How can the liquids be altered to make the food coloring dissipate faster? Students will heat and cool the liquids to

discover how this effects results. Any other ideas on how to alter the materials

can be explored and explained in the students notebooks.

5 E Model - Elaborate

The teacher can evaluate the students’ understanding by taking a look at their science notebooks. As long as the student displays their findings in a clear and organized way, their evaluation should reflect their effort.

Students with limited English proficiency can describe their findings in any way that works best for them; whether it be drawings or short statements.

5 E Model - Evaluate