This week, our Year 6 scientists have continued on their path of discovery and conducted the scientific method at home. They looked at how the temperature of water might change how quickly a substance dissolved. Now, if this sounds like your cup of tea, you can try this at home (with a bit of parental supervision).
There are many substances that dissolve but a recommendation from the Year 6 scientists would be either jelly or skittles (can you guess why?).
Here is a method for skittles you could try at home:
- Boil the kettle (please stay safe, ask a parent if need be).
- Pour into a glass (if you can measure the volume of the water even better!).
- Measure the temperature of the water and record it in a results table (if you have a thermometer, if not you can just say ‘boiling water’).
- Get ready to drop the skittle into the water: have the stop watch ready.
- Count down 3-2-1-GO! and drop the skittle into the water – press the start button on the stop watch as the skittle enters the water.
- Watch as the colour of the skittle disperses into the water.
- When the skittle has turned white shout STOP and stop the stopwatch.
- Record the time taken to dissolve in your results table.
- Wash out the glass (remember this will be hot so you may need some help) and repeat this experiment for the warm water and the ice water.
Now you should be able to answer the question of how the rate (speed) of dissolving changes with temperature.
Have fun!
Mr Andrade