Miscibility
Contributed By
- Original Source:Oregon Museum of Science and Industry
Conditions of Use:None Specified
Description
Visitors observe a bottle containing water and oil. They are invited to pick up the bottle and mix the contents together. Oil and water have different chemical properties, so they are not miscible and they don't mix. Because of their poor miscibility, oil and water can form “ocean waves” in a bottle. The molecules in food coloring mix well (are miscible) with polar water molecules but not with the long hydrocarbon molecules of oil, so only the water layer is colored. The oil is less dense (lighter) than water so the oil layer floats on top of the water. Less
Learning Registry Activity
Bookmarks
Topics and Grades
Grade: TK/K to 9
Topics: Physics, States of Matter (solids, liquids, gases), Earth's Resources, Earth & Space Science, Chemistry
Resource Pedagogy
Resource Type/Classification:
- Teacher Materials
Tool for: Students