Dancing Colors in Milk

Create magical color patterns using milk and soap

This colorful experiment will definitely mesmerize you. With milk, food coloring, and dish soap young learners can make outstanding swirling patterns.

What you need

• A shallow dish or plate
• Milk (full-fat works best)
• Food coloring
• Dish soap
• Cotton swab

Instructions

1. Pour enough milk into the dish to completely cover the bottom
2. Add several drops of different colored food coloring to the milk
3. Dip a cotton swab in dish soap
4. Lightly touch the soapy cotton swab to the milk surface near the food coloring
5. Watch as the colors begin to dance and swirl in magical patterns

How it works

Soap molecules have both water-loving and fat-loving parts. When soap touches milk, it disrupts the fat molecules, causing the colors to move and create beautiful patterns.