Create a vibrant bloom of swirling colors with this fun experiment for curious kiddos.
Pie dish or shallow bowl
TruMoo® Moana Strawberry Banana Lowfat Milk
McCormick® food coloring*
Dawn® Ultra dish soap
Cotton swabs
Recruit an adult to help you. Pour milk in the pie dish or shallow bowl. Place 3 drops of food coloring on the surface of the milk. Dip a cotton swab into dish soap. Place the cotton swab in the food coloring and watch the color spread into beautiful blooms.
Why it works: Milk has a high surface tension which supports the food coloring molecules, keeping the dye centralized. Soap is a surfactant, which means it reduces the surface tension of a liquid. The soap interacts with the fat and protein molecules in the milk, causing them to move around. This bumps and shoves the food coloring molecules.
*DO NOT use gel food coloring or plant-based food coloring made with natural vegetable juices and spices. Use food coloring made with artificial ingredients.
Do not consume milk that has been contaminated with dish soap.
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