Water Fireworks

Creating fireworks in a glass? How cool! Make water fireworks at home.

You’ll need: water, oil, food coloring, a tall clear glass, an additional glass and a fork

Instructions:

1. Fill the tall glass almost to the top with warm or room temperature water.
2. Pour 1-2 tablespoons of oil into the additional glass.
3. Add a couple drops of food coloring into the glass with the oil.
4. Stir the oil and food coloring with a fork to break up the food coloring into smaller drops. Don’t stir too much so that the liquids mix thoroughly.
5. Pour the oil and food coloring mixture into the tall glass of water.
6. Watch what happens! As the food coloring drops in the water, each drop expands outward, resembling fireworks.

How It Works: Food coloring dissolves in water but not oil. So when the food coloring is mixed with oil, it breaks up into droplets and the droplets of various colors will merge to create new colors. When poured into the glass of water, the oil remains at the top because it is less dense than water. This gives the food coloring the chance to mix with the water, and it spreads outward like a firework as it falls to the bottom of the glass.

Sponsored by National Grid.