Density Columns in 4th Grade Science

The 4th grade has been exploring density. Last week we compared freshwater and saltwater and learned why it's so much easier to float an egg in saltwater than freshwater. This week the students decided to create a "Density Column" using six different liquids. They used corn syrup, milk, rubbing alcohol, vegetable oil, water and dishwashing soap. First, the students made predictions about the density of the liquids and how they would layer in the test tube. Next, they tried some of their predictions. At the end, through trial and error, the students came up with the correct column from highest to lowest density. Want to know the correct answer? Start with the corn syrup, then the milk, then soap followed by the water, then the oil and last, the alcohol. Use food coloring to really highlight the layers. You can try this at home!

Making a plan for testing predictions 

Being a bit silly; the liquids seemed "gross" 

when they were mixed up!

Examining the results 

Which one is correct? 

A successful prediction!

Another successful prediction