Creating a Chemistry Rainbow
Source/Author: Dr. Carlie Saval, US Chemistry Teacher
September 01, 2022
To practice following procedures and measuring volumes of liquids accurately, students in Dr. Carlie's chemistry class used food coloring in test tubes to create different colored liquids.
Students followed detailed instructions, such as: Add 1 drop of red food color to beaker #1. Mix by gently swirling. Always hold droppers straight up and down to ensure each drop is the same volume. Using a bottle brush, wash each test tube and beaker with soap and water. Invert test tubes to dry on test tube rack and beakers on drying rack. (Yes, you may now expect them to wash all of your dishes!)
Then they answered questions and reflected on the tasks, e.g.: Explain the correct way to read a graduated cylinder. What are your sources of error in this experiment? What are some techniques you could use to minimize your risk of chemical exposure?
If the group conducted the intro experiment correctly, they had a rainbow-colored result on their test tube rack.
