Six Layers Sarah Dallas

Layering Liquids 1/29/08

Teachers Instructions

This experiment is a great way for kids to see how different liquids have different
densities. They will layer the liquids and be able to see which liquids are the most dense
and which liquids are less dense by how they layer one on top of another.
- This experiment can be done with any age, and in various ways
Average Length: 50 minutes

Definitions
Mass: The weight of an object or liquid (measured in grams)
Volume: The amount you have of the liquid (measured in milliliters)
Density: Mass per unit volume (unit: g/mL)

Materials
You can use almost any liquids for this experiment but this is a group of liquids that work
very well in having clear distinct layers
- Honey: Grade A
- Corn syrup
- Dishwashing soap
- Rubbing alcohol
- Milk
- Oil

The experiment is also more fun if you use food coloring to color the different liquids so
when they layer it becomes very colorful

Also you will need

- six little containers per child or group to have the liquids start in
- a bigger glass to pour the liquids into
- stirring rods
- crayons

Safety Information:
- All of the liquids are safe for kids to touch and smell
o Some are really sticky though
- Make sure to pour each liquid for a while because some of them are very viscous
and take a while to come out

Instructions:
1. Measure out the six different liquids into different little containers (20mL each)
for each group or child – be sure to do this ahead of time
a. You can color the different liquids with food coloring to make the layers
different colors
 2. First have the kids answer the pre-lab questions
3. Have the kids pour the honey in first
4. Then have them pour in the corn syrup
a. Between each pour they should look and see what has happened
b. Also don’t have them stir the solution at all
5. Then pour in the soap
6. Then the alcohol
7. And then the oil
8. Have the kids draw in on the worksheet what has happened
9. Go over why there are such different layers
10. Next have them draw what they think will happen when the milk is poured in
11. Have them pour in the milk
12. Then draw what happened
13. Next have them fill out the rest of the worksheet and discuss the different
questions
14. Clean-up

Clean-up:
- Make sure to wash out all the containers well with hot water because some of the
liquids are harder to wash out
- All of the liquids can be rinsed down the drain

*Additional notes*
- This experiment can be done with many different liquid though some work much
better than others, but it is in no way bound to the liquids suggested above
- You could also have kids bring in different liquids from home that they want to
try and layer, and they can play around with that
- To make this experiment more challenging for older kids you can have them find
the densities of the different liquids so they can predict what will happen ahead of
time
o In this write-up my worksheet for older kids gives some of the densities,
and asks for the others to be filled in. These densities can be taken away to
and the kids can calculate the densities which would make the lab more
challenging
- You could also have varying volumes so that a liquid that the densities vary and
create different layers than what would be expected
- This can also be combined with a lesson on floating and sinking, if there are a few
different objects the kids can guess what layer they will sink to and why some
things sink lower than other objects
Worksheets
Younger kids

1. What do you think will happen why the liquids are poured into the cup?

Draw
Before Milk Prediction Result with Milk

What is the Density of the Milk?

Liquid Density

Honey 1.538 g/mL

Corn Syrup 1.414 g/mL

Dishwashing Soap .9670 g/mL

Milk ???

Rubbing Alcohol .8500 g/mL

Oil .7770 g/mL

Worksheet- For Older Kids
Pre-Lab Questions

1. What is density and how do you calculate it?

2. If you have different liquids with the same volume will they have different
densities?

3. When you pour the liquids into the cup what do you think is going to
happen?

You will be told an order to pour the liquids into the glass.
When you pour the liquids please be patient, because some of the liquids are going to
take longer than others.

Once the first five liquids have been poured into the cup fill in the chart below, and write
what you think the different liquids are.
Liquid Density

1. 1.538 g/mL

2.

3.
.9670 g/mL

4.

5. .7770 g/mL

Draw in the first box below what the five different layers look like in the glass.

Draw in the second box what you think will happen when the container labeled 6, which
contains milk, is poured into the glass with the other liquids.

Once you have finished drawing in the first two boxes listen for when to pour in the milk.

Once you have poured in the milk draw what happened in the third box
Draw what happened

Result without Milk Prediction w/ addition of Milk Result w/ Milk

4. What causes the liquids to layer as they do?

5. Can you estimate milks density? If so what is it approximately and why?

6. If we were to pour the liquids in a different order would the results have
changed or would they have been the same? Why?

7. What would happen if you were to mix up the liquids?

a. After you mixed up the liquids if you let it sit for a while what would
happen?

8. If liquids are about the same density what would happen when they are
mixed together?

9. If you were to add water (which had density = 1g/mL) where would it fall?
How do you know that?