Plop! Kenny dropped candies with a colorful sugared coating into a dish of water. Minutes later, the candy colors were spreading out at the bottom of the dish. Why would that happen? Think of your best answer, then read our explanation below.
What You’ll Need
sugar-coated candies of different colors
dish of water
What to Do
Place some candies into a dish of water.
Wait a few minutes to watch the candy colors spread out at the bottom of the dish.
How It Works
As the sugared coating dissolves in the water, its sugar and dye molecules mix with neighboring water molecules. The sugar-water mixture is denser (heavier) than the rest of the water, so it sinks to the bottom of the dish, below the "pure" water. (In time, the sugar and dye will diffuse, or spread out, through all the water.)