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ScienceArt

Marbled Milk Chemistry Art

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Grades 3-530-40 minSource: Creative Dad Company

A splash of dish soap sends food coloring swirling across a plate of milk, letting kids identify a material property in action before pulling a one of a kind print of the pattern.

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Prep: 10 minActivity: 45 min1 session~$5/groupOne table or a clear section of floorBeginner-friendly

Setup

Place common or recycled supplies for Marbled Milk Chemistry Art on one work surface and choose a safe area for the test. Read the four activity directions aloud; drawings, paper models, and household substitutes may replace specialized materials, and no digital tool is required.

Activity

  1. Pour milk into a shallow plate and predict what will happen when a drop of food coloring is added versus a drop of soap.
  2. Add several drops of food coloring to the milk without stirring, then dip a soap covered cotton swab into the center.
  3. Observe and describe what happens to the milk's surface, testing a few different soap amounts and comparing the results.
  4. Press a piece of paper flat onto the surface for a few seconds to lift the pattern into a printed piece of art, then trim and mount the best one.

Done when: The group produces the Marbled Milk Chemistry Art solution, completes the described test, makes the revision called for by the evidence, and supports its final explanation with an observed or measured result.

Materials

Whole milk, food coloring, dish soap, shallow plate, cotton swabs, cardstock or watercolor paper

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Disclosure: Materials links below go to Amazon. As an Amazon Associate, Creative Dad Company earns from qualifying purchases at no extra cost to you.

Steps

  1. Pour milk into a shallow plate and predict what will happen when a drop of food coloring is added versus a drop of soap.
  2. Add several drops of food coloring to the milk without stirring, then dip a soap covered cotton swab into the center.
  3. Observe and describe what happens to the milk's surface, testing a few different soap amounts and comparing the results.
  4. Press a piece of paper flat onto the surface for a few seconds to lift the pattern into a printed piece of art, then trim and mount the best one.

Standards it satisfies

  • NGSS · 5-PS1-3

    Make observations and measurements to identify materials based on their properties.