How To Set Firework In A Jar?

The Fire Work in a Jar is a super easy and colorful science experiment for kids. The required materials can be found in almost everyone’s home. You create a firework in a small jar instead of in an open-air.

Age: 3+           Time: <10min

 Safety 

Adult supervision

 Materials List 

• Cooking oil
• Food coloring
• Wine glass  (any transparent containers)
• Water
• Beaker
• Glass rod

 Instruction 

Step 1/3 – Pour about 20ml of vegetable oil into the beaker, add drops of different food coloring and stir it up. (the more colors you add, the better.)

Step 2/3 – Add about 300ml of water to the wine glass and pour the cooking oil on the top.

Step 3/3 – Wait a little while and the food coloring will begin to drop down just like a firework.

 Troubleshooting 

Why my food coloring quickly dissolved in water so I saw no firework?
— It can be that the temperature of the water is too high. You need to add cold water.

 Scientific Description 

It has to do with the fact that food coloring and water do not mix with the cooking oil, for they hate cooking oil. Yet, food coloring and water can mix together. The oil is less dense than the water so the cooking oil will float on the top. The food coloring is a little dense than the water. When you pour the mix into the jar, the oil keeps the food coloring suspending among them. Yet, with time, the food coloring begins to separate from the oil, they fall into the water in droplets which will begin to break apart and dissolve in water. The whole process looks like a fireworks explosion.

 Extensions 

Add more oil and a piece of effervescent tablets to the water can make a colorful bubbling lava lamp.

The difference in density is what makes this science experiment is. Check out below these easy experiments sharing the same principle that will help your little one better know the concept of density.  

Density Rainbow Column

Colorful Sugar Density Column

Suspended Egg

Homemade Lava Lamp

Convection Currents

Shaving Cream Rain Clouds