Pop another coin in both the ketchup and vinegar and salt mixture. Dry the pennies with a paper towel. Your Materials For This Science Experiment & Steps Combined. Observe paper clips next day. Great for President's Day! Go back to the table you drew. How does time affect the cleanliness of the pennies? When 1 minute has passed, rinse each cup with water until the inside of the cup and the pennies are clean (be careful not to lose your penny!). Each step is clearly outlined and explained. of salt and a bowl, preferably metal. Here's what a young scientist will need to get started: In order to perform this simple experiment, do the following: Once the results are in, talk to the child about which pennies look the cleanest and if they can see any patterns regarding which solutions seemed to do the best job. Here are the scientific method steps and some sample questions to help you work through it. HOW TO CLEAN PENNIES| SCIENCE EXPERIMENT - YouTube For cleaning up, I used a variety of materials such as lemon, vinegar and salt, water, water with soap. At the end students write which solution, Lab Activity" is an engaging and interactive lab, designed for high school and college biology classes. Taco Sauce Penny Cleaner - Steve Spangler What Juice Cleans Pennies Best Science Fair Projects Lab, Students of all ages have fun doing this easy, ! When printing this document, you may NOT modify it in any way. 'Balloon Powered Rocket. What do your results tell you about the special properties of copper pennies? Drop eight to ten of the dirty pennies into the solution. It included a shiny new coin, one blackened and covered in ver, Smart Board Lesson for Beginning Learners, Introduce your students to the process of scientific experimentation, lesson. Includes a 2-page student workshe, your class, whether on Presidents Day or another time of the year! Just click on the image to find more science fun. Put 1 tablespoon Tabasco into each Tabasco cup. 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This is a weak acid, which is good since we ingest it. Gently swirl the cup so that the penny is completely covered with Ketchup. 2002-2023 LoveToKnow Media. 3. Phosphoric acid breaks down the copper oxygen compound and causes a new layer of the copper to be exposed. Whats in the Bag?Making MusicMouse Paint (, gel frosting)Rain PaintSecret MessagesDucks Like RainFloat or Sink PumpkinsDo Seeds Travel?VolcanoesThe Windy DayDo Whales Get Cold?Candle RacesWh, Rated 4.92 out of 5, based on 838 reviews, . Answers to, Questions: 1 colour page Which one do they think will clean the coin the most? What about soda? Try other materials containing small amounts of acid to see which produces the best results. Leave the control cups empty. Educational Toys And Child Development Research Studies. Hypothesis: If I put a copper penny in coca cola, soap and water,. What works best to do this is an acid combined with salt. from Science Buddies http://www.sciencebuddies.org/science-activities. Penny Cleaning Science Project | LoveToKnow I'm a mom of three and STEM enthusiast. Well, its time to look at what is in our catsup! You dont need any fancy gadgets or science kits to clean these coins, all you need are a few household ingredients and you will have shiny new coins in less than an hour. What do your results tell you about the special properties of copper pennies? 20-30 dull pennies 1/4 cup white vinegar (dilute acetic acid) 1 teaspoon salt (NaCl) 1 shallow, clear glass or plastic bowl (not metal) 1-2 clean steel screws or nails water measuring spoons paper towels Shiny Clean Pennies Pour the salt and vinegar into the bowl. One of my daughters thought that the pennies would get dissolved while my other daughter thought the soda would make the pennies dirtier. A hypothesis is a prediction of what is going to happen in an experiment based on knowledge that the experimenter already has. All you need is a couple of old copper coins, some different liquids and a few other tools. These boxes are presented in partnership with Popular Mechanics so you know you'll be getting some great stuff each month. We talked about the materials used for making, and the process of oxidation. Dirty Pennies Kitchen Science Experiment - Science Fun Next, drop in a dirty penny and stir. Scrub each penny for 10 seconds, then rinse it again with water and place it back into its cup. 'Dry Ice Bubble, - Lesson 3 of 50 - Grades 4,5,6 If you line up your pennies in order from the dirtiest to the cleanest, the order should go something like this: Water, Soda/Fruit Juice, Vinegar, Ketchup, and Vinegar and salt mixture. Oranges? This is a pretty safe experiment. And hydrochloric acid is so much more acidic than vinegar alone. Hi, my name is Elena Jones, and my full-time job is a teacher. Follow us on Facebook, Twitter or Instagramto see new experiments! Vinegar (or Lemon Juice) and Salt This method is the best way to clean your pennies, and it will produce a very bright orangey-copper color on your pennies. We would recommend you use any liquids from the following list for the best results: Now, you can get to the fun part carrying out the experiment! Lesson and Program Overview: 2 colour pages . 10 very dirty pennies (the dirtier the better! This will allow you to make a better judgment of how well each method cleaned, by looking at the pennies before and after their treatment. Children often think the soapy water will work best as it is normally used for cleaning, but children who understand what acids are or who know a little about chemistry may have a better idea about what will work. This is what the pennies look like sitting at the bottom of the glass. Post your question for our scientists. Wipe the excess ketchup off the pennies, then rinse them off. Water is the worst because it is a neutral liquid, meaning that it sits smack in the middle of the pH scale. Since most pennies made after 1982 are made out of zinc with a thin copper coating, you used real copper pennies to get the true effect. Note: Some of the links on this page are affiliate links. As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases. Did you get to the same conclusion that the ketchup and the vinegar + salt mixture cleaned the coins the most? Rocking Chair, Glider, or Recliner for the Nursery: Is It Worth It? Teachers- the materials are readily available! In this activity, were going to test a few different methods for cleaning pennies, and determine which gets our pennies the cleanest. Put pennies in each solution to see which one does the best job of cleaning the pennies. Well, after you wash the ketchup off, that is. The unlikely condiment you need to be sure to include? Compare all of the pennies to the control pennies. In each case, make sure the penny is completely covered by the contents of the cup. When the oxygen and the copper on the coins' outsides interact, a substance called copper oxide is formed. Here is the full list so you can tick them off with your kids as you collect them: When it comes to what liquids you and your kids can use in this experiment, part of the fun is asking them what they think would be good to use and trying it out. Analysis and Graph - Cleaning Pennies TEN Quick and Easy Science Experiments for Kids! Lawrence holds a Bachelor of Fine Arts in screenwriting from New York University and a Master of Science in childhood education from Brooklyn College. Salt! The salt in the ketchup adds dissolved chloride ions that bond with the copper to form copper chloride, which allows the acid to break up even more copper oxide. It turns out that when you mix vinegar and salt, a chemical reaction takes place and form what is called hydrochloric acid. 'Fire Water Balloon, 25-IN-1 BUNDLE (Set 1 of 2) - Grades 4,5,6, What is in this '25-IN-1 BUNDLE'? Once you have the pennies, pour some of the soda into the glass. A chemical reaction between the vinegar and the salt removes copper oxide. Deidre is an avid writer with a Bachelor of Arts in Literature. Add the pennies. In fact, new pennies are so pretty that its considered a compliment to say that something is as shiny as a new penny. Begin by pouring the vinegar into the bowl. The project above is a DEMONSTRATION. Put a dollop of ketchup on a plate. If you are looking for a fun and engaging way to keep kids passionate about learning, check out Groovy Lab in a Box. If using bowls or Tupperware, write your label on clear plastic tape and gently attach it. When the Statue of Liberty was originally built in 1875, it was not the same blue-green color it is today. We had a blast, a physical example of chemical weathering, by looking at how the soda coke (or a generic version), . Plus, there is another great reason to try this science experiment out youll be spending some quality time with your kids. Want to wow your kids with some simple kitchen science? ', ' link: Place a penny on each square of your table, heads side up. Extra: Can you think of other safe household acids you could test? Step 1: Put the salt and vinegar in the bowl. Simple science experiment that works great with any age students! Step 2: Dip one penny halfway into the liquid. Next, pour one liquid into each cup. The next day, pour the soda out of the glass, careful to leave the pennies. What do you see? method. Wipe the penny off with a paper towel and rinse off. Density Experiment With Water Watch The Floating Egg! Add the salt, and stir until the salt is completely dissolved. Based in Los Angeles, Bridgett Michele Lawrence began working as a freelance writer in 2008. KetchupSoak your pennies in ketchup to clean them like new. They will need one tarnished, dirty-looking penny for every solution chosen plus one extra as a control (meaning that nothing will be done to this final penny). Use your permanent marker to label your remaining plastic cups like this: Ketchup 1, Ketchup 5, Tabasco 1, Tabasco 5, Vinegar 1, Vinegar 5, Lemon 1, Lemon 5, Control 1, Control 5. Which is the least clean? Science - Lesson 6 of 50 - Grades 4,5,6, my middle school special education classroom. (Glass Or Cup) Upside Down Water Experiment : An Amazing Science Trick! 6. You can only guess how highly acidic this ketchup must be! Over time, pennies form a layer of copper oxide on the surface of the penny, which actually protects it from further corruption. Kids are given some background on chemical reactions and oxidation. Copper oxide is blackish. Through the data and . The step-by-step instructions included in this digital product are easy to follow and are accompanied by colorful illustrations that make the . Ketchup and oranges have a high acid content as dovinegar and lemons. If you continue to use this site we will assume that you are happy with it. You may print and distribute up to 200 copies of this document annually, at no charge, for personal and classroom educational use. Let the pennies soak for a little bit. Finally, after about 30 minutes to 1 hour, look at the coins again. Materials: Dirty pennies Glass Vinegar Salt Measuring spoons Paper towels Instructions: Fill the glass about halfway full with vinegar. Copyright 2002-2023 Science Buddies. Students should also be able to identify if this change is chemical or physical. Put a dollop of ketchup on a plate. Experiments on Cleaning Pennies | Sciencing Hypothesis: If I use 4 different products to clean pennies, adding each product to the a plastic dish (not mixing together), I predict that out of the 4 products, ketchup, fabuloso, coke, and lemon juice that lemon juice will clean a penny the best. As in ketchup, salt and vinegar are both in hot sauce. So when the coin stays in your pocket or is passed from person to person or stays in that container where you keep all your pennies, the copper in the coin reacts with the oxygen in the air and turns into what is called copper oxide. by Brenda Priddy | Jul 12, 2017 | Homeschool |. Next should either be the soda/fruit juice or vinegar (sometimes these switch depending on what type of each you have used) because their pH is usually around 3, so they are mildly acidic. Take the dirty copper pennies (the ones from the bottom of your purse are best) and have your child place one into each cup. Wipe the penny off with a paper towel and rinse off. Let the pennies sit in the soda overnight. After 10 minutes, take the coins out; but this time, dont wipe the coins clean. document.getElementById( "ak_js_1" ).setAttribute( "value", ( new Date() ).getTime() ); This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. We are actually performing a chemical reaction that breaks down the copper oxide. Wet a toothbrush and begin scrubbing the penny. 2. Take the penny from the Ketchup,1 minutes square of your table, and place it in the Ketchup 1 cup. Put 1 tablespoon of Vinegar and 1 teaspoon of salt into each Vinegar cup. You see, copper coins are usually shiny and well, copper-colored. And be sure to share these additional fun learning activities with your kids! While the coins are air drying in the second stage, you can talk your kids through their findings of the first stage together! Thank you for sharing! Place two equally tarnished pennies on each of three different plates. You dont have to stop after doing this once. And don't worry, I give the science behind it all! Its that dull dark color that coats old coins. Place the pennies in the bowl, and allow them to sit for several minutes. Hot Sauce Hot sauce, like Tabasco or taco sauce, also will remove the oxides off pennies. How to Wash Rothy's Shoes & Flats & Keep Them Odor Free. While the coins are submerged in the cups, lay out some paper towels or kitchen paper and label each towel so you know which coin is going where. Smell), Science Fair Project For Kids: Demonstrating How Plants Help Stop Soil Erosion, 10 Great Inventors Books To Inspire Young Children, DIY Bath Bomb for Kids Fun Science Experiments For Kids, Best Books To Get Your Kids to Fall in Love With Math Teach Approved, 5 old copper pennies (these coins need to be copper for this experiment to work), 5 strips of paper (for labelling each penny), A pen and paper for jotting down the results, 5 different liquids to use to clean your pennies. You need just a few things for this experiment: Create a solution of vinegar and salt using one teaspoon of salt and 1/4 of a cup of vinegar. DOCX Fairfield Area School District / District Home All rights reserved. For my class, I just had to explain the process, give them a definition of a hypothesis (letting them know it's okay to be wrong! Leave them there for 10 minutes while you and your kids talk about the results of the first experiment. Recently, we did thisCleaning Pennies Experimentand the results were surprising to my kids. Encourage this and get them to write down their supposed answers. When you are done with this fun experiment, check outMaking Pennies Green. Mix until the salt is dissolved (it helps if the vinegar is a little warm). Through a penny cleaning science project, you can study atoms, chemical changes and observing processes through the scientific method, all of which are science lesson benchmarks for eighth grade. Label each cup with a pen so you and your kids know what liquid is in each up. The "Penny Cleaning Experiment" is a product that provides a fun and educational activity for children and adults alike.This product is designed to teach people how to clean old, tarnished pennies using simple household items such as vinegar and salt. Now comes the hardest part of the experiment - the waiting. You should have observed that each cleaning method made the pennies cleaner, but some methods may have been more successful than others. Cover the pennies with each of the mixtures, smear them around with your fingers, and give the ingredients at least 2 minutes to react. It is a great sensory STEM activity for preschoolers and older children. You can find this page online at: https://www.sciencebuddies.org/stem-activities/shine-bright-like-apenny. If you have chosen to do the extra second step with your kids, then you will have noticed upon your frequent checks that the coins will have turned a blue-green color after being left to air dry. The experiment can be done with just as much fun and learning without using this tool. Medioimages/Photodisc/Photodisc/Getty Images. Notify me of follow-up comments by email. Ketchup is a weak acid (from the vinegar), and this acid breaks down the copper oxide. She's worked as a freelance copywriter and fiction writer for over a decade. Problem & Hypothesis - Cleaning Copper Pennies - Google Sites For a complete clean, flip the pennies over and repeat the process on the other side. Can you clearly see the date on the penny, or is it too dirty? This way, you wont mix up the coins when it comes to comparing them. Aplus Education Ltd with Vaughan M Blaney, Students love to collect and bring in a dirty, it and why using the scientific method! While copper is a beautiful metal, it is also reactive. Once there's a working hypothesis, the experiment itself can begin. You dont need any fancy gadgets or science kits. When the vinegar cleaned the coin, it stripped away the coating and exposed the copper. Test whether these cleaning solutions work on other types of coins. Students will create a booklet or for a quicker project, just print the worksheet. Keep the pennies in the cup. Check the coins, then come back again in another 30 minutes and see what has happened to the coins. So, the results of your kids coin cleaning experiment should be that the ketchup and the vinegar and salt mixture were the best coin cleaners. This packet includes a direction list/timeline for the teacher, class observation form, 2 different CER responses (one, and one without a graphic organizer) AND an opportunity for students to graph and a, , and Which Type of Water Works Best? Whether you need help solving quadratic equations, inspiration for the upcoming science fair or the latest update on a major storm, Sciencing is here to help. The liquids didnt clean the coins in 10 minutes so I think it needed to be for longer! 2023 Leaf Group Ltd. / Leaf Group Media, All Rights Reserved. Read this: Life Lessons from the Scientific Method.). Could you have cleaner pennies if you just used running water? This website is helpful to me but,add more steps and I think it can be more helpful. The statue ismade of copper and it has turned bluish-green because of this copper-oxygen-chlorine reaction. And see whats the sciencebehind this phenomena. 'Elephant's Toothpaste, - Lesson 4 of 50 - Grades 4,5,6 (You may need to push the one in the catsup to get it fully submerged). In each case, make sure the penny is completely covered by the contents of the cup. Remember that at the very start, I said you should use only copper coins? Which method works best is determined by the amount of acid present, and the presence of salt. Cleaning Pennies Science Project.docx - Course Hero If you're cleaning metals like copper or brass with lemon juice over the long term, this can react with the metals and can cause corrosion, damaging the metal. And because this mixture is way up high in the acidic scale, it cleaned the coin so much better and quicker than just vinegar. Record this number on your data table under trial 1. Teacher Notes: Regarding, : 1 colour page Shine Bright Like aPenny! - Scientific American
