Bobbing Salt Blobs
What are these? There is nothing like finding out yourself. Not only does this experiment lead to some rather curious items, but it also helps illustrate some fundamental principles about liquid behavior. Oil and water, as you will see, do no mix easily.
- A glass jar or a drinking glass
- Vegetable oil
- Salt
- Water
- Food coloring
- Measuring cup
- First, pour 3 inches worth of water into the jar.
- Now, pour 1/3 cup of vegetable oil into the glass. Allow it to settle.
- Next, add a couple of drops of food coloring into the oil and water.
- Shake some salt on top of the oil while you count slowly to 5.
- Add more salt to keep it going, if you desire.
What Happened:
First of all, the oil is lighter than water, so the oil floats atop the water. Together, they are known as immiscible liquids, which means they are liquids that do not mix. Because salt is heavier than water, when you pour salt on the oil it sinks to the bottom of the mixture, carrying a blob of oil with it. Once it reaches the water, the salt begins to dissolve, releasing the oil which floats to the top.
