How to Dissolve the "M" off an M & M Candy
Have you ever wondered how to remove the “M” from an M&M candy? In this fun, hands-on science experiment, students will discover how the candy’s coating reacts with water to make the colorful “M” disappear. This simple M&M candy lab is perfect for homeschoolers, classrooms, or at-home science fun. As they experiment, kids can make observations, draw what they see, and explore the science behind candy coatings—all while enjoying a tasty and educational activity! You’ll love the FREE “Will the ‘M’ Float Off an M&M Candy?” lab sheets! Download below!
Explore our other M & M Candy Labs here, including our M&M sort and graph lab!
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Materials for How to Remove the M from an M&M Lab
Wow—this looks like a huge materials list, doesn’t it? Just kidding! The only supplies you’ll need for this M&M Candy Science Lab are water, small cups, and M&Ms.
Lab Procedures: How to Dissolve the ‘M’ off an M&M
This lab evolved a bit as we went along. I started by asking the kids, “How can we get the color off the chocolate?” One child suggested chipping it off, while another thought we could lick it off. After a few minutes of discussion, my middle son had a brilliant idea: “We could put it in water and dissolve it!” YES—someone had been paying attention the day before!
Since our original goal was just to remove the coloring, not the “M,” we gave each M&M color its own cup for the experiment.
If I had known what would happen, I would have placed the M&Ms in the cups before adding the water to make sure the “M” was right-side up. So, don’t do exactly what we did… well, maybe just a little! 🙂
Lab Procedure:
Place the M&Ms: Put a different colored M&M in each cup, making sure the “M” is facing up.
Add water: Slowly pour water into the cup so you don’t move the M&M.
Observe: Watch closely! It may take a little while for the “M” to dissolve, so be patient and enjoy the process.
Be sure to Observe
While observing, my younger kids and I discussed how the water was changing color and forming a sort of rainbow. Since we only placed one candy into each cup, we created a rainbow of colors. We talked about how the sugar coating was dissolving. With my older kids, we discussed how when a solute (such as sugar or food coloring) dissolves in a solvent (like water), a solution is formed. A solution is a type of mixture.
And then we saw this… the M floated off the candy! The “m” floated up away from the chocolate candy. I had not planned for that. However, it makes sense if you understand density. To understand density, keep reading!
Further Investigation
Later, we put two M&M’s into a glass cup and added enough water to cover the M&M’s. Can you see the m’s floating? Can you also see the film? If you let the M&M’s sit long enough without disturbing them, you will visibly see a bunch of stuff floating.
Drawing Conclusions
The chocolate is more dense than water, so it sinks. Density is the amount of mass in an object compared to its volume. Hence, the more mass an object in reference to its volume, the greater the density. Since the “m” floats, it is less dense than the water. The “m” has less mass in its volume and thus, floats away leaving the chocolate lonely. See, the less dense “m” was laying on top of the colored sugar coating. Once the sugar coating dissolved off of the chocolate part of the candy, the “m” had nothing keeping it attached.
After doing some research, I found out that the letter m is made of edible ink, which is different than the sugar coating. The edible ink is more resistant to water so it takes longer to dissolve. The film on top of the water is a wax coating that all of the M&M candies get. This coating makes the candy shiny, giving it a more appealing shell.
How to Dissolve the "M" off an M&M Candy Lab Sheets
The first time I did this lab with my kids, we didn’t use a lab sheet. Now that I’m preparing to teach a class called Experiments, Labs, and Demos to a group of elementary students, I created this lab sheet to fit neatly into their science notebooks. There are two versions included, so you can easily modify the activity to meet your needs.
In these lab sheets, the procedure is explained a bit differently than you might expect. Instead of placing one colored M&M in separate cups, I plan to have each group of students put three M&Ms into one cup. This simple change helps keep the classroom manageable—no need for a hundred cups of water! The lab sheets also provide plenty of space for students to write observations and draw what they see. Overall, this activity is a great, low-pressure way to introduce students to the scientific method.
Food for thought...
Looking for a more permanent science curriculum? Even though we pursue various science units that encompass labs and such, we also use a science textbook each year. Some might say that our science units supplement our textbook, while others would say the opposite to be true. The labs, experiments, graphic organizers, videos, and other activities bring the textbook information to life.
We use Abeka Science textbooks. I love that they incorporate God and His sovereignty into their curriculum. When I taught in the public school system, I noticed that many of my students were lacking in vocabulary. This made it difficult for them to understand the why behind many of our investigations. Unfortunately, they were deficient in their background knowledge. Our science time would be lacking too if it weren’t for the rich vocabulary and science language that we find in our science textbook and readers. If you are interested in shopping for a full-time science curriculum or even just a textbook to guide you, click on the following link! Happy homeschooling!
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