Christmas Density Jar

This simple science demonstration is a fantastic way to learn about density! Liquids can be stacked in a glass or jar in order of their density.

You'll need

Sugar Syrup
Water
Food colouring
Vegetable Oil
Small items to test for floating

Other things to try:

Honey
Treacle
Washing soap

How to make a Christmas Density Jar

Pour each liquid into the glass slowly, starting with the sugar syrup (you can add food colouring if you like), followed by the water with added food colouring, and finally, the vegetable oil.

Drop a few small items in and see which layer they float on.

Try a marble or coin to see if it sinks to the bottom.

Why does this work?

Each liquid has a different mass of molecules or different numbers of parts squashed into the same volume. This means they have different densities, allowing one to sit on top of the other. The more dense a liquid is, the heavier it is.

Objects and liquids float on liquids of a higher density and sink through liquids of lower density.

We’d love to see your Christmas themed density jars.