Density Column

You've probably noticed that carrying a large container of water, like a gallon jug, is pretty heavy. But if you pick up a metal tool like a hammer or a wrench, it can also be pretty heavy even though it is much smaller. This is because solids like metal have a much higher density than water! This is why metals will sink in water! Density is defined simply by the amount of weight per volume. Water has a density of about 8 pounds per gallon, while iron has a density of 65 pounds per gallon.

In this experiment we are going to use liquids of different densities to make a density column! For this experiment, you are going to need a few liquids that can be found around the house: Honey, Corn Syrup, Dish Soap. Water, Vegetable Oil, Isopropyl Alcohol, Lamp Oil (optional), and food coloring. You're also going to need a tall container to hold our density column. Start by pouring the honey in the bottom of the container, followed by the corn syrup, the dish soap, etc. Add food coloring to the clear liquids to make a more colorful column! 

The honey is the most dense liquid in the column, meaning that the honey wants to stay at the bottom of the column. The corn syrup layer above it has a slightly lower density, so when it is gently added to the top of the honey layer, it sits right on top! The dish soap is less dense than the corn syrup, so it stays above the corn syrup layer. Going up the column, each layer is slightly less dense than the layer below it, so they will all form separate layers. You can also test how dense household objects are by dropping them in the column and seeing where they end up!