Candy Corn Science

What you need:

• Candy corn
• Small glass bowls or juice glasses
• Water
• Three other liquids such as vinegar, vegetable oil, soda, or rubbing alcohol.
• Paper
• Pen or pencil

What You Do:

1. What does your young learner think will happen when you put the candy corn in each of these liquids? Be sure that they knows what each liquid is. Will the candy float or sink? Will the candy change color? Maybe it will dissolve? Don’t forget to record this prediction which is your child’s hypothesis.
2. Help your child pour about 1 inch of each liquid into a separate bowl or glass. Line the containers up so that they are all easily visible.
3. Next, your young scientist will gently add two pieces of candy to each container of liquid. Be careful not to splash or spill.
4. Give your child time to observe what happens to the candy in each liquid. Perhaps bubbles form on the candy. Or it may change shape or color. Does the candy change any of the liquids? Maybe one or more of the liquids turns cloudy or changes color. What does it look like in 10 minutes? In 15 minutes?  Your child should record their observations.
5. Remove the candy from the various liquids. Compare them to each other, as well as to candy that was not placed in one of the liquids. What changes can be seen? Why does your young learner believe that these changes took place?

To expand, repeat the experiment with different types of candy or different liquids. You could also stir the liquids.