Five Layer Density Column

Question: 

Do you think this experiment is magic?  Why don't the 5 layers combine when added to each other?  What keeps them stacked?

Hypothesis: 
Originally we thought the liquids would mix together because when we poured them into the cylinder they looked like they were mixing at first.    In what order do you think the 5 liquids will stack?  Liquids will only stack without mixing if they are placed in order from most dense to least dense.  The liquids we are using are honey, red karo syrup, blue dish soap, yellow vegetable oil and green rubbing alcohol.  

Picture
Our Experiment

Materials: 

Picture

  • Cylinder
  • Honey
  • Karo Syrup
  • Dish Soap
  • Vegetable oil
  • Rubbing Alcohol
  • Food Coloring

Safety Procedures

Procedure:

Color any of the liquids that may need to be colored, so that you can tell the difference between the liquids.  Pour an equal amount of each liquid below into the cylinder.
  1. Pour the honey first.
  2. Add the red Karo syrup
  3. Add the blue Dish Soap
  4. Add the yellow vegetable oil
   5.   Add the green rubbing alcohol
   


Special Needs:
If possible, a sink would greatly aid clean up of our experiment.

Videos & Pictures to follow

Observations:

Lighter liquids like rubbing alcohol are less dense than heavier liquids like honey so they float on top of the more dense layers.  The liquids will stack based on the density of each of the liquids.  We stacked the liquids in the container from highest to lowest density.  Honey being the most dense was the first liquid added to the container.  Next we added red karo syrup, then blue dish soap, then yellow vegetable oil and lastly green rubbing alcohol.  As we were pouring them they looked like they might combine but as they settled, they rose into layers based on weight. As long as an equal amount of each liquid is used they will stack based on weight.




Conclusions:
Density is the thing that keeps sand at the bottom of the ocean.  Sand weighs more than water  so the sand sinks to the bottom.  Density is how much something of a set volume weighs.   The density (Weight of each liquid) made the liquids stack based on their weight.  Honey was the thickest so it was on the bottom.  The rest of the liquids stacked in order based on weight.  The reason why the experiment works is as follows:  the density of honey is 1.42, the density of karo syrup is 1.33, the density of the dish soap is 1.06, the density of the vegetable oil is 0.92 and the density of the rubbing alcohol is 0.79.  These liquids  stacked because we used equal amounts of each of the liquids so that the volumes were equal.

Declan 

My name is Declan, and I am in Mrs. Luke's 5th grade class.  I have a brother in 8th grade and a sister in 9th grade.  My favorite sports are soccer, skiing and hiking.

Trevor 

My name is Trevor and my teacher's are Mrs. Gronert and Mrs. Pepe.  I am in 5th grade.   I have two cats named Boo and Bear and a twin brother named Connor.  My favorite sports are soccer and basketball.  

Eli 

My name is Eli and I am in Mrs.Luke's class. I am in fifth grade and I am ten years old. My birthday is June tenth. I have a brother named Max who is in third grade and a dog named Jet. My two favorite sports are soccer and basketball. I spend my summers at a sleep away sports camp called Camp Winadu.