[Image] Desert Girl came home from school one day this week and asked if we could do a science experiment. I happily agreed, and knew exactly what we would do. One of my brothers had recently sent me a link to a video on Facebook that showed this demonstration. The demo would be a fun art project that showed a little chemistry in action.

Super Fun Colorful Milk Demonstration
Step 1: Put whole milk in a saucer. (whole milk is important here; 2% or creamer would probably also work)

 Step 2: Add a few drops off food coloring (we try to avoid artificial food colorings in our food, but I'm glad I saved these because they are great for science experiments!).
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Step 3: Add a drop of dishwashing detergent. Dawn was recommended, but we use an eco-friendly one and that worked out fine.
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Step 4: Watch what happens.
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Step 5: See the crazy swirls as the colors dance.
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Sometimes they make fun patterns.
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Step 6: Explain what's happening. I found Steve Spangler's explanation very good. (In a nutshell, the soap's hydrophobic ends are racing around trying to attach to the fat molecules in the milk.)
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You can add another drop to watch the reaction longer.
[Image] We had so much fun with this demonstration that it had an encore performance after dinner. And in writing up this blog, I found that it's possible to do with Elmer's glue, which then hardens and leaves a lasting impression of this fun reaction. Look out for future art projects!