Learning with Candy

April 3 is National Find a Rainbow Day! What better way to celebrate than by experimenting with Skittles candies to learn about diffusion and create amazing artistic designs? 

Materials Needed 

• A white plate (or clear plate). If china or breakable, be very careful in handling. 

• Skittles (assorted colors) 

• Hot water (not boiling) 

• Liquid measuring cup

INSTRUCTIONS 

Arrange Skittles so they make a large circle on the plate, matching colors creatively. 

Once the shape is complete, carefully pour warm water into the center of the plate until it reaches the Skittles. 

Watch as the colors dissolve and spread, creating a beautiful, vibrant pattern. This can take up to 15 minutes. 

WHAT’S HAPPENING?

When the warm water is poured onto the plate, the colored sugar coating on the Skittles begins to dissolve. As it dissolves, the colored dye and sugar particles move from an area of high concentration (by all the other candies) to low concentration (where there are fewer or no candies). The Oregon Museum of Science and Industry says: “The temperature of the water matters, too. Using very warm or boiling water creates a quicker but messier, murkier rainbow. Using room temperature water or cold water slows the process of the rainbow forming. The hotter the water, the more quickly the pattern will form; this is because the molecules in warm water move around more quickly than in cold water. So, when warm water molecules mix with the dye on the Skittles, they are quicker to ‘drag’ that dye away and into the middle of the plate” (learn more at https://omsi.edu/explore/art-science-with-skittles/).

Some of this free content is taken from Emerald Academy on TeachersPayTeachers.com.