The Digital Bits Science Labs are fun science experiments for young children. Kids, make sure you have an adult's permission before trying any of these science experiments.
Digital Bits Science Lab
Science Experiments for Kids, Parents and Teachers
Learn colors and color combinations with food coloring
Description:
It’s easy, fun, kinda messy, and colorful. Learn about subtractive color combinations. Learn what colors make other colors.
Equipment Needed:
Small transparent glasses (plastic or thick glass juice glasses work well)
Water
The Digital Bits Science Lab Experiment:
Put a couple drops of red food coloring in one glass, and fill it one-third full with water. Do the same with the blue coloring in another glass. Then pour the two colors together into an empty third glass – you’ve got purple water!
Some colors will be “stronger” than others. You may find that, for example, your purple needs three drops of red coloring and only one drop of blue.
Your food coloring set should come with at least three or four different colors. Experiment and find out what colors make other colors:
This is a good time to introduce the subtractive color wheel: there is a pattern to how the colors mix together, and there is a visual way to show it. A subtractive color mix is when you create a new color by mixing different colored liquids together. It looks like this:
Other articles related to this topic:
- Food coloring fireworks with oil-water separation
- Heat is energy
- Demonstration of veins, arteries and transpiration
- Learn about colors, color combinations and chemical reactions with Color Dotz
- Build a CD spinner and learn color combinations