National Chemistry Week - Experiments - Soapy Stories

THE AIM:

To demonstrate the effects of soap on water.

WHAT YOU WILL NEED:

• liquid soap (e.g. Joy)
• green food colour
• pepper
• shallow bowl of water or large glass baking pan

WHAT TO DO:

1. This experiment can be told to the class in a story format. Before proceeding, fill the bowl with water adding green food colouring to make it look like a field, and put a little soap on the tip of one finger.

2. It was a warm late afternoon and the children in the neighbourhood decide that they will all go to the large field nearby.

3. Proceed to sprinkle pepper into the bowl.

4. It is here that they play games and while away their free time after homework and before supper.

   After playing for awhile most of the children have realized that they are very hungry. They are all really hoping that their parents have prepared something tasty for supper. A short while later the parents are heard to open their front doors and yell out, 'Supper is ready'. Well, before you knew it all the children ran off home to enjoy a great supper.

5. Put your soapy finger into the middle of the water.

6. The big green field was empty again until the next evening when the children would come out to play again.

Water likes to stick together. The water molecules seem to form a skin on the water surface. Soap will spread and cover the surface of the water pushing the pepper to the edges.

Before repeating this, make sure the bowl is well rinsed to rid it of soap. Any soap that is left would coat the surface of the water and make it difficult to repeat this experiment.

This activity can be used to encourage the children's writing creativity by allowing them to think up their own stories to go with the actions.