Catch a Rainbow

Red, blue and yellow are the primary colors. Just by mixing these colors, you can get all the colors of the rainbow.

Red + Yellow = Orange / Red + Blue = Purple / Blue + Yellow = Green

 

Materials Needed:

• Red, Blue and Yellow Food Coloring
• 1 Cup Milk
• Shallow Bowl
• Dish Soap

Directions:

1. Pour 1 cup of milk into the bowl.
2. Add 3 drops of red food color to one edge of the bowl. 1/3 of the way away, add 3 drops of blue food color. 1/3 of the way away add 3 drops of yellow. Don’t mix or jiggle the bowl.
3. Squeeze a drop of dish soap in the center of the bowl.
4. Record what you see.
5. What do you think happened?

The dish soap does not mix with the milk. Instead it floats on top and spreads over the surface. As it spreads, it grabs the food color you dropped into it. Where the colors meet, they combine to form new colors.

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