Now when you dipped it into the salt + vinegar solution and then air-dried it, it also took with it some chlorine which is often found in salt. Put 1 tablespoon Ketchup into each Ketchup cup. Record this number on your data table under trial 1. Want to wow your kids with some simple kitchen science? 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). We are actually performing a chemical reaction that breaks down the copper oxide. Taco Sauce Penny Cleaner - Steve Spangler Conclusions - Cleaning Pennies Curious about the science? At Home Chemistry: Cleaning Pennies with Ketchup We know that its mostly tomatoes a quite acidic vegetable. KetchupSoak your pennies in ketchup to clean them like new. Through the data and . Cleaning Pennies Science Experiment for Kids. document.getElementById( "ak_js_1" ).setAttribute( "value", ( new Date() ).getTime() ); This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Can you clearly see the date on the penny, or is it too dirty? Isnt that amazing? Washing the pennies in a vinegar and salt solution removes the patina from the pennies, exposing the brighter copper underneath once more. This product is designed to teach people how to clean old, tarnished pennies using simple household items such as vinegar and salt. Keep the pennies in the cup. So, the liquids that have worked best in your experiment are the ones that are more acidic. Remove the pennies and rinse them with water. it does not say the date and author on the website! Drop the pennies into the soda. Once the budding scientist has a pile of pennies, he or she should choose and collect their selection of cleaning solutions. Your email address will not be published. But sometimes those pennies you see on the ground look anything but lucky. Check the coins, then come back again in another 30 minutes and see what has happened to the coins. This is a great activity for using just exploring and giving open-ended questioning. Ketchup also contains a lot of salt, which helps add to its acidity. Its that dull dark color that coats old coins. Fill the eyedropper with water from the water beaker and carefully count the number of drops that fit on the penny until the water spills over the edge. In this case, you may have noticed that the Ketchup and Tabasco pennies were not quiet as well-cleaned as the pennies that were in the vinegar and lemon juice. This is one reason that the pH papers can be a helpful tool. Copper oxide is the dull dark color that covers old coins the older a copper coin is, the more copper oxide it has coating its surface. The liquids didnt clean the coins in 10 minutes so I think it needed to be for longer! A chemical reaction between the vinegar and the salt removes copper oxide. No, the scientific method isnt a chore. All with pocket change actually. As it is easy to see, the ingredient that had the greatest impact was vinegar with salt, and the one who had the lower impact was water. Why do you think this might be? This lab activity aims to explore the concept of surface tension by examining the amount of water that can fit on the surface of a, without overflowing.The lab activity comes, , an eyedropper, and water. Copper oxide is brownish or sometimes black in color (depending on other things in the pennys environment). Most of these aren't substances that are typically used to clean, which is part of makes guessing how they will affect the pennies more fun. I'm so happy you're here!! Take a few minutes to examine your chosen solutions. Place a penny in it and cover the penny with ketchup. Penny cleaning science projects are a popular choice at grade school science fairs - and for good reason. Most of the liquids (except the water) should have somewhat cleaned the coin. You are going to challenge your children to clean pennies with various kitchen condiments. Im not talking about the literal dirt that ends up collecting on them Im talking about the residue that is still present even if you rinse your pennies off with water. This is also why the salt and vinegar mixture was a better coin cleaner than just vinegar alone. 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. Once all your liquids have been poured into their own cup, you can have your kids drop one old coin in each liquid and leave them submerged for 10 mins. We talked about the materials used for making, and the process of oxidation. Put one penny in each of the liquids and make sure it's fully submerged. Place a square of clean, white paper towel in front of each cup. Compare the penny from the ketchup to the control penny. As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases. Conclusion: The hypothesis was proven true, and the pennies, were best cleaned by the strongest acid, which in this experiment was lemon juice. The following titles name the 20, /activities.Shake It! Teachers- the materials are readily available! Why did the catsup clean the coin as well as the vinegar + salt solution? Its a great way to get their young minds critically thinking, and also challenges them to solve problems using logic. Leave the paper clip in the solution overnight. 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. Check it out. Compare all of the pennies to the control pennies. Salt and vinegar mixed together creates a chemical reaction to form hydrochloric acid, which is far more acidic than vinegar alone. What about soda? Hypothesis: If I put a copper penny in coca cola, soap and water,. Vinegar and lemon juice are both acids. that is nice sure for kids. Could you have cleaner pennies if you just used running water? This easy and fun science experiment teaches kids about chemical reactions in a way that seems like magic! They can also consider which might clean the pennies fastest. And also, dont forget to Subscribe to our channel for more fun kids activities. Educational Toys And Child Development Research Studies. Wipe the penny off with a paper towel and rinse off. 'Fun, ' link: The pennies have become tarnished as the copper coating reacts with oxygen in the air and forms a copper oxygen compound, which makes the pennies appear brown. Why do pennies get dark and dingy? So there you go, thats how it cleaned the coins too. Place the pennies in the bowl, and allow them to sit for several minutes. Well, heres something even more fascinating. Chemical reactions, acidity, copper oxidation. Citrus JuiceTry a variety of citrus juices to see which works best or simply let your pennies soak in lemon juice. Some common suggestions include: Plain water Soapy water Lemon juice Vinegar Vinegar with salt Ketchup Hot sauce Coca Cola Baking soda and water Apple, grape, or orange juice Milk Forming a Hypothesis In this activity, were going to test a few different methods for cleaning pennies, and determine which gets our pennies the cleanest. HOW TO CLEAN PENNIES| SCIENCE EXPERIMENT - YouTube Go back to the table you drew. Place the pennies in the bowl, and allow them to sit for several minutes. Copper oxide is blackish. Oranges? 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. They are going to love it! Science - Lesson 5 of 50 - Grades 4,5,6 To begin with, you'll want to find a handful of dirty pennies. There are two different stages to this Science activity. Begin the experiment by placing a few pennies on a small plate. Rank your solutions from which cleaned the penny the best, to which cleaned it the worst. How did this happen? Do not add anything to the cup. Im Colleen, gifted specialist, educational consultant,author,speaker, andhomeschool momof four gifted/twice-exceptional kids. Chemistry Experiments With Pennies - ThoughtCo Cleaning Pennies Experiment - Mess for Less What do you see? A lot of parents or guardians may initially be switched off to this because they assume you will need fancy kits and equipment but thats not always true. Compare the 1 minute and 5 minute pennies in each row. Phosphoric acid breaks down the copper oxygen compound and causes a new layer of the copper to be exposed. Well, after you wash the ketchup off, that is. i thought that this was very helpful all five of my kids did this and they got an A so yea, gunna use this for my science project at school:D, well i think this experiment was welled organized but it could have showed more steps in the process of how they started from beginning to end also it could have said how long did it sit in the liquid, did they whip it off or not, showed what color was the coin at first etc, This is a great experiment im in 7th grade my science teacher was shocked. But heres the question that Im sure is brewing in your mind. Get your copper coins out of the containers where theyve been hiding for many years and get them cleaned. This is an instruction and recording sheet for our, (as outlined) is to determine if soapy water or ketchup will, more efficiently. salt water? 2023 LoveToKnow Media. Were there any cleaning methods where the time didnt matter, so the 1 minute and 5 minute pennies are equally clean? This activity helps students to see and experience the properties of water- including Adhesion, Cohesion, and Surface Tension. After cups are put away, remove goggles. And hydrochloric acid is so much more acidic than vinegar alone. Try other materials containing small amounts of acid to see which produces the best results. Remember that copper turns dark brown when reacting with oxygen? Add highlights, virtual manipulatives, and more. Over time, pennies form a layer of copper oxide on the surface of the penny, which actually protects it from further corruption. You should have at least five different liquids ready to pour into each individual cup, but you can always add some more for fun. You explained the science behind it perfectly. Younger kids might need a bit of help. Here is the science of cleaning pennies with ketchup. Gently swirl the cup so that the penny is completely covered with Ketchup. Thank you for sharing! Analysis and Graph - Cleaning Pennies Salt is another compound called sodium chloride, so it contains a chemical called chlorine (like what we use in swimming pools to keep them clean). (Dont believe me? This is why most pennies you see look dirty or tarnished, its not actually dirt, but copper-oxide that makes them look so dull. Now, when copper reacts to oxygen, it turns dark brown to make copper oxide. The child might decide to pick a winning solution or even to rank the pennies in order of which is the most improved. Please enter a search term in the text box. Science - Lesson 1 of 50 - Grades 4,5,6 The pennies have become tarnished as the copper coating reacts with oxygen in the air and forms a copper oxygen compound, which makes the pennies appear brown. We had a blast, a physical example of chemical weathering, by looking at how the soda coke (or a generic version), . 'Balloon Powered Rocket, - Lesson 2 of 50 - Grades 4,5,6 Next, drop in a dirty penny and stir. This is a weak acid, which is good since we ingest it. Materials: -pennies, fabuloso, ketchup, coke, lemon juice, paper . In fact, new pennies are so pretty that its considered a compliment to say that something is as shiny as a new penny. Which penny is the cleanest, compared to the control? The negatively charged oxygen atoms in our air are attracted to the positively charged copper atoms in the penny. The chlorine ions bond with the copper in solution forming some sort of copper chloride, allowing the acid to break more of the copper oxide free from the penny. Just click on the image to find more science fun. Water from the tap is fine. 6. This is your control. Make a paste from your baking soda and water. 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. (Keeping the pennies in front of the cups will help you remember which solution they were each in. Make sure you stay with your kids during this part and engage with them. Take the penny from the Ketchup,1 minutes square of your table, and place it in the Ketchup 1 cup. If you are doing this with older children who can write you can have them write out a grid for penny comparison. Ketchup. This bluish-green color is called Malachite. Doing a simple science experiment with them now and again helps encourage them to ask questions and learn, as well as improve important life skills like communication, critical thinking, and problem solving. If you took a picture in Step 1, go back and compare each pennys cleanliness before and after being cleaned. Once all the pennies are in the correct cup, use the remaining time to observe the pennies, and the contents of the cup. After all the pennies have soaked for about five minutes, it is time to pull them out. I preceded the, a presentation from the U.S. Mint site on how coins are made. Your kids will love this simple chemistry experiment. Stir until the salt dissolves. The coins that were submerged in those cups should come out nice and shiny, while the rest are still a little dull and dirty. 'Balloon Powered Rocket, that looks at what house hold solutions will be best to. 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. We are going to put the coins into different liquids, which of these liquids do you think will clean them? Antique Singer Sewing Machines That Changed the Game, Although they are often found at garage sales, flea markets, and estate sales with very low price tags, there are several models of antique Singer sewing machines that are highly sought after by co, 62+ Fun Family Night Ideas and Activities You'll Want to Give a Go, Family night ideas include fun games and activities any family can enjoy together at home or in their neighborhood. Pour cup of baking soda into one of your plastic cups. After 10 minutes, use your tweezers to take the coins out of each cup. Citric acid works similarly to the other acids. Science - Lesson 4 of 50 - Grades 4,5,6 What Juice Cleans Pennies Best Science Fair Projects Since we have 6 different liquids here, its best to properly label each cup. Great for President's Day! Teaching kids about science doesn't have to be intimidating. Book a Science PartyHave the Science Guy visit your school! How to Wash Rothy's Shoes & Flats & Keep Them Odor Free. The unlikely condiment you need to be sure to include? As you are drying them, you'll notice that rubbing results in some of the dirt coming off the pennies. Also after 10 mins none of them got cleaned but after an hour of the ketchup, it was mostly clean. Was 1 minute or 5 minutes more effective in cleaning the pennies overall? Vinegar and SaltMake a solution of vinegar and salt and let the pennies soak. But we think that that alone could not clean coins this quickly. Finally, after about 30 minutes to 1 hour, look at the coins again. Teacher Notes: Student Write-Up Sample: 1 colour page Place each of the pennies in the 1 minute column into their corresponding cup. Follow us on Facebook, Twitter or Instagramto see new experiments! Place your pennies in a shallow bowl, and cover them with lemon juice. are shinier than others, learn the meaning of a hypothesis by watching a video (link to website), make a hypothesis, graph their hypothesis, are dull and how they become shiny. So, the acetic acid in vinegar dissolves the copper oxide and cleans it. Deidre is an avid writer with a Bachelor of Arts in Literature. As they are exposed to the environment, pennies become coated with a layer of copper-oxide, making them look tarnished (dull, brown and dirty appearance). For any other use, please contact Science Buddies. Penny Lab webapi.bu.edu 2022-10-29 . We use cookies to ensure that we give you the best experience on our website. When the vinegar cleaned the coin, it stripped away the coating and exposed the copper. Place the penny (tails side up) on a flat surface. Salt is also a key ingredient in the other cleaning agents, thus making them effective in cleaning the pennies. This takes more work than the others, however. Reproduction of material from this website without written permission is strictly prohibited. Its not just dependent on how old the pennies are. Next, pour one liquid into each cup. Dry the pennies with a paper towel. Well, its time to look at what is in our catsup! These boxes are presented in partnership with Popular Mechanics so you know you'll be getting some great stuff each month. This dirt is actually copper oxide. This is a fun and easy STEM activity that introduces the idea of oxidation and basic chemical reactions. Place each of the pennies in the 1 minute column into their corresponding cup. Once all of the pennies have been rinsed, use your fingers to gently scrub the pennies one at a time with your baking soda paste (keep your gloves on for this part!). In each case, make sure the penny is completely covered by the contents of the cup. Well try and put up the next stage soon.
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