Monday is St. Patrick’s Day! We are so lucky to spend this STEAM Saturday doing St. Patrick’s science with you! Keep a close eye out… You might just find a pot of gold at the end of your Crystal Rainbow!
Here’s what you’ll need for this simple and fun chemistry experiment:
- Pipe Cleaners or Chenille Sticks in all the colors of the rainbow
- String
- Chopstick or pencil
- Borax
- Warm Water
- Large Heat Proof Container or Jar (large enough to hold the pipe cleaners)
First, arrange your pipe cleaners in the order of the colors of the rainbow. Then, twist the ends together and use your string to tie the ends. Leave a bit of extra string so you can hang your rainbow when the time comes.
Now, measure 7 cups of water and bring it to a simmer on your stove. Stir in 3 tablespoons of Borax for every cup of water (21 tablespoons total), and then turn the heat off. Carefully pour your water into your jar.
Wrap the string from your rainbow around your pencil or chopstick and hang the rainbow inside your jar of water, resting the pencil or chopstick on the top of the jar so that your pipe cleaners do not touch the sides.
Let your rainbow sit in the water and Borax mixture for 24 hours, then take it out and let it dry on a tea towel. Now you’ve got a beautiful crystal rainbow!
So… What is happening while our rainbow sits in the water? This is a scientific concept called solubility – the ability for something to dissolve in water. Borax dissolves much better in hot water than in cold water. As the water in your jar cools off, the water molecules move closer together, causing the excess Borax to crystallize!
As always, be as creative as you want, and above all, have lots of fun learning together!
We’ll see you right back here next Saturday for another STEAM Saturday activity! Scroll through the rest of our website to learn how Critchlow Adkins is Building Brighter Futures for the children and families we serve!
