Dancing Raisins

Watch raisins dance up and down in a glass of soda! You will learn how carbon dioxide bubbles attach to objects to create buoyancy and make them float.

Tools

• funnel (1)

Materials

• clear glasses or containers (2)
• clear carbonated soda/Sprite (2 cups)
• plain water (2 cups)
• raisins (10-15)

Safety

• Adult supervision required for children under 5.
• Do not drink the soda after the experiment.

Steps

1. Fill the first glass with 1 cup of plain water.
2. Use a funnel to pour 1 cup of carbonated soda into the second glass to avoid spills.
3. Observe the two liquids; notice that the soda has many bubbles (carbonated gas) while the water has none.
4. Drop a few raisins into the glass of water and observe that they sink to the bottom and stay there.
5. Drop a few raisins into the glass of soda and observe the bubbles attaching to the raisins.
6. Watch as the raisins lift to the surface, pop their bubbles, and sink back down, creating a 'dancing' effect.
7. Continue adding raisins to the soda to see if more raisins create more bubbles.