If you have vegetable oil, water, food coloring, and a few Alka-Seltzer tablets lying around, and time to sit and gaze at a small and wondrous world, this one’s for you. A good activity for Buy Nothing Day!

You will need (in this order):
-a jar or bottle
-water
-food coloring
-vegetable oil
-Alka-Seltzer tablets

Pour some water in the bottom of the jar, forming a layer 1 to 2 inches deep. Add food coloring. Next add oil, making a layer 3 to 4 inches deep that will rest on top of the water (density at work!). When everything has settled, break an Alka-Seltzer tablet into pieces and add, one at a time, to the mix.

You can store this mixture with the top on and reactivate it any time by adding more Alka-Selter tablets.  What makes it work?  Here are some hints:  intermolecular polarity, density, and gas.

Mindport is closed Thursday and Friday, but will re-open Saturday, November 28th at 10 am.  Please join us for Correspondence Club if you’d like (10:30 – 12:30).  As always, we love to see you.