Waves in the ocean are a wonderful sight! Create an ocean in a jar and watch the waves roll and frolic. We had a lot of fun with this experiment, and our 12 year old videographer picked just the right sound effect. Documenting scientific experiments is fun and an important step in the scientific process.
What you need:
- Clear jar with a lid
- Water
- Food coloring
- Vegetable oil
- Plastic toy
What you do:
- Fill 1/2 of the jar with water.
- Add food coloring to the water for your ocean color.
- Gently pour about 1-2 inches of oil on top of the water until about 3/4 full.
- Float your plastic toy on top of the oil.
- Seal the lid on the jar.
- Shake, sway or jiggle the jar to set your ocean into motion! Watch the toy float and bob as the colored waves are highlighted against the oil.
Why it works:
Water is denser than oil, so the oil floats on top of the water and does not mix in. When the water moves, it pushes against the oil making the wonderful wave shapes. The floating toy is just for fun!
