By Sara Thompson
Special to the Enterprise
Image credit is User Parnote, obtained from Wikimedia Commons
Valentine’s Day has recently passed, and you may wonder what to do with any extra candy hearts you may have. For this experiment it is best to use the ones with a chalk-like texture and not the gummy variety.
Supplies: clear cups (1 for each liquid used), candy hearts, marker, paper, and liquids for the experiment, we suggest water, vinegar, and club soda or clear soft drink.
Experiment: Fill your clear cups with the different liquids. Label the cups with their contents. List the same liquids on your paper and predict if the candy will sink or float. Next, place the same number of candy hearts into each cup and wait. Wait between 15-20 minutes, checking for changes every five minutes or so. What happened in each cup? Did the candy hearts sink or float? Record your results or draw a picture.
Extend your experiment in a variety of ways. You can repeat with any other liquids you would like. Keep the candy hearts in the water for longer or see how long it takes to dissolve. Test out different temperature of water or tap vs. bottled water. No matter how you want to experiment, please perform experiments with an adult for safety and clean up.
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