Skittles Candy Rainbow Lab
It doesn’t matter if you try this lab once or ten times, kids love it! Adults enjoy it too. The Skittles Candy Rainbow Lab is fun and hands-on. What I love about this colorful experiment is the ability to discuss the science behind the mesmerizing visual. We get to talk about matter, atoms, solutions, and dissolving… all awesome scientific topics! Have fun doing the Skittles Candy Rainbow Lab! Don’t forget to download a FREE copy of the observation sheet below! You might want to also check out our Skittles Graphing Lab too! Make it a Skittles science week!
*We have a similar experiment, M&M’s Graphing Lab, that is more advanced. So, if you have an older crew, you might want to check it out here.
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Materials Needed for the Skittles Candy Rainbow Lab
The materials list for this lab is easy and short! All you need is a bag of Skittles, white plate, and water. You might want to throw in some napkins and voila… you are set!
Skittles Candy Rainbow Lab Procedure
There isn’t much to the procedure of this experiment. After gathering your supplies, line Skittles tightly around the inside of a white plate. Next, you will pour water in the middle of the plate until it touches all the Skittles. Then, just wait for the color rainbow to happen. It is fun to watch these little candies turn into a piece of art right in front of your eyes.
Skittles Candy Rainbow Lab Sheet
One question we talk about is, “Why does the color come off of the candy?” The next question that was, “Why does the food coloring move into the center of the plate?” They kept telling me that it dissolved into the water. My reply was yes, but why did it move throughout the water? Why doesn’t the food coloring just stay right around the candy? This is an important question to pose since this is the opening of your discussion into states of matter and how atoms move in a liquid. DOWNLOAD OBSERVATION SHEET BELOW!
WHAT'S THE SCIENCE BEHIND IT?
This is the perfect time to guide them into a different direction. What state of matter is the water? Water is a liquid. The atoms in liquids are not tightly compact, but loosely arranged. This allows for movement. The arrangement of atoms in a liquid are the exact reason why a liquid can take the shape of any container.
You can not see the atoms moving no more than you can see wind. However, just like wind, you can see the effects of it. In this case, you can’t see the water molecules moving, but you can see the food coloring being dispersed throughout the water. Cool, huh?
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