Help your kids understand the disastrous effects of water pollution with this Oil Spill Experiment. This hands on science activity will allow them to see for themselves exactly how difficult cleaning up oil spills in the ocean really are.
OIL SPILL EXPERIMENT
MATERIALS NEEDED:
Water
Blue food coloring- to make the water stand out a bit from the clear container
Vegetable Oil
Cocoa Powder
Deep Clear Container
Cotton Balls
Plastic Mini Boat
Plastic Ocean Animals
Small Rocks/ Stones
Sponge
Spoon
Plastic cup to put cotton balls in
Paper Towels
Dawn Dish Soap
Chicken Feather
Fill the clear plastic container halfway with water and add 1-2 drops of food coloring. Mix with the spoon. Allow students to create their ocean habitat using the rocks and plastic animals. Next, add the boat to the ocean.
Pour some vegetable oil and a small spoonful of cocoa powder into a bowl and mix your 'crude oil'.
If your boat can hold the oil pour it into the boat**. If not pour the oil near the boat to give the effect of the oil leaking from the boat.
** If your boat can hold the oil tip your boat over to show how oil can leak from a capsized boat.
Using the materials on hand lets predict which materials will help clean up this spill.
You can keep a chart for your records or just start saving these sea creatures!
Imagine this spill happening in the oceans. How many cotton balls or sponges do you predict will be needed?
Dip the chicken feather into the oil. What happens?
Squirt Dawn dish soap into a glass and add water. Run the feather through the clean water. What happens?
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