We're going to try this out today! When the vinegar cleaned the coin, it stripped away the coating and exposed the copper. Its that dull dark color that coats old coins. Cover the pennies with taco sauce, spreading the sauce over the pennies until they are completely covered. My kids had fun doing this, raiding their piggy banks to find some dirty pennies. There are two different stages to this Science activity. 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. This activity helps students to see and experience the properties of water- including Adhesion, Cohesion, and Surface Tension. Plus, there is another great reason to try this science experiment out youll be spending some quality time with your kids. Not only will this, Use this observation handout when experimenting. A chemical reaction between the vinegar and the salt removes copper oxide. After cups are put away, remove goggles. I use this specifically to teach them the. Did you get to the same conclusion that the ketchup and the vinegar + salt mixture cleaned the coins the most? 2 teaspoons salt. Want to wow your kids with some simple kitchen science? Students will create a booklet or for a quicker project, just print the worksheet. Cleaning Pennies Home Experiment Conclusions Annex Analysis This graph interprets the results of the experiment. Just click on the image to find more science fun. The cookie settings on this website are set to "allow cookies" to give you the best browsing experience possible. I know I was. All pennies start out the same color beautiful and bright copper. That is why old coins look, well, old and new coins are bright and shiny. Rinse and dry the penny. Observe paper clips next day. from Science Buddies http://www.sciencebuddies.org/science-activities. 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. Let the pennies dry on pieces of paper towel. What do you see? Compare the penny from the ketchup to the control penny. You are going to challenge your children to clean pennies with various kitchen condiments. 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. 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!). Set one penny aside to act as your control. When the Statue of Liberty was originally built in 1875, it was not the same blue-green color it is today. You can dispose of any extra ketchup how you normally would. Oranges? In the third cup, put 1/2 cup vinegar and 2 teaspoons of salt. Place your Control, 1 minutes penny into the Control 1 cup. 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). Just don't drink the coke afterward. 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. This will help them develop into highly skilled individuals and prepare them for more difficult situations they are sure to encounter later on in life. How do they smell? This dirt is actually copper oxide. Stir until the salt dissolves. What about soda? This is a weak acid, which is good since we ingest it. ), 2 tablespoons freshly squeezed Lemon Juice, 2 tablespoons Tabasco Sauce (or other hot sauce), 11 plastic cups (small Tupperware containers or bowls will work as well). Once all the pennies are in the correct cup, use the remaining time to observe the pennies, and the contents of the cup. Ketchup is a weak acid (from the vinegar), and this acid breaks down the copper oxide. Were there any cleaning methods where the time didnt matter, so the 1 minute and 5 minute pennies are equally clean? we do during the week of Presidents' Day or when we are talking about coins in Math. We use cookies to ensure that we give you the best experience on our website. The ketchup is most likely what will surprise your kids the most (and lets be honest perhaps you too!). 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. Lesson contains Great for President's Day! Grab a cup of coffee, some of that chocolate youre hiding from the kids, and join me as I learn, experiment, and explore with my kiddos and hopefully inspire you a little in your journey alongside smart, quirky, creative kids, too! Dry the pennies with a paper towel. See a penny pick it up, all day long youll have good luck! maybe youve heard this phrase before, and maybe youve even stopped to pick up a lucky penny off the sidewalk. Which one is the cleanest? Younger kids who cant yet write well can keep the pennies in front of the cups.). 'Balloon Powered Rocket, that looks at what house hold solutions will be best to. Repeat the process until the penny reaches the desired shininess. Thats great to know Aayeshi. Lesson Cover: 1 colour page Did you do the 2nd stage of this cleaning coins experiment? If this experiment is being used for a science fair or class presentation, the young scientist has the option to either take photos of each penny with a label for which solution was used or even to bring the pennies themselves in. Pop another coin in both the ketchup and vinegar and salt mixture. Science: Project Cleaning Pennies Question: What products clean pennies the best? Place a penny in it and cover the penny with ketchup. You should have at least five different liquids ready to pour into each individual cup, but you can always add some more for fun. Place a paper clip in each cup of vinegar and salt solution. Next, pour one liquid into each cup. Why do you think this might be? 9 Easy Grill Cleaning Tips to Keep Mealtime Fresh, At least two of the solutions from the above list, One penny for each solution plus one extra, One small dish or cup for each solution (plastic or paper cups with a couple inches off the top cut off will work if there aren't drinking glasses to spare). Each step is clearly outlined and explained. Rocking Chair, Glider, or Recliner for the Nursery: Is It Worth It? Hi! Learn how your comment data is processed. Let the pennies sit in the soda overnight. The "Penny Cleaning Experiment" is a product that provides a fun and educational activity for children and adults alike. Educational Toys And Child Development Research Studies. It is a step-by-step, that the students can perform on their own. After 10 minutes, use your tweezers to take the coins out of each cup. 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. This is easy for the water and other thin liquids, but for ketchup or mustard, you need to flip the penny around to be sure it is coated. And what is vinegar? 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. This will help them understand whats going on. Please supervise your children during all activities. Before we started our cleaning pennies experiment, I talked to my kids about what they thought would happen when we placed pennies into some soda. Which is the least clean? All you'll need is soda, a cup, pennies and some time. Test whether these cleaning solutions work on other types of coins. You can actually do lots of simple science experiments at home with just a few basic supplies. Well, heres something even more fascinating. PRINT AND GO STEM BUNDLE. Science Fair Project Ideas for Kids, Middle & High School Students, Science Bob: Cleaning Pennies With Vinegar, Steve Spangler Science: Taco Sauce Penny Cleaner, Miami Museum of Science: The pH Factor/Cleaning Pennies. I have included 4 recording sheets to go along. Take the dirty copper pennies (the ones from the bottom of your purse are best) and have your child place one into each cup. The reason why ketchup is such a good coin cleaner is because it is made from tomatoes, and tomatoes are an acidic vegetable (yes, tomatoes are a vegetable). If you enjoyed this cleaning pennies experiment, you'll love: Wow! In each case, make sure the penny is completely covered by the contents of the cup. Im Colleen, gifted specialist, educational consultant,author,speaker, andhomeschool momof four gifted/twice-exceptional kids. Science isnt a one and done thing. This website is helpful to me but,add more steps and I think it can be more helpful. Oxygen in the atmosphere has a negative charge that is attracted to the positive charge of the copper in the penny. Put pennies in each solution to see which one does the best job of cleaning the pennies. If you are looking for a fun and engaging way to keep kids passionate about learning, check out Groovy Lab in a Box. If you have a camera, take a picture of the pennies. 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. Scrub each penny for 10 seconds, then rinse it again with water and place it back into its cup. Also, Copper oxide easily dissolves in acid. Record this number on your data table under trial 1. This product is designed to teach people how to clean old, tarnished, using simple household items such as vinegar and salt. also after an hour of the salt and vinegar, the salt made the coin super duper weird and worse. Step 3: Dump all the pennies into the liquid. You should have observed that each cleaning method made the pennies cleaner, but some methods may have been more successful than others. TEN Quick and Easy Science Experiments for Kids! Pennies turn dull and green due to oxidation. Lab, Students of all ages have fun doing this easy, ! Copper oxide is blackish. You can read more on the science behind how to clean pennies here: Clean your pennies with ketchup! Oranges? In the second cup, put water mixed with dish soap. Repeat the experiment with the same pennies in a new solution of vinegar and salt and see if you can make them even brighter! The pennies will be cleaner and brighter than before. After that you won't see anything happen. Encourage this and get them to write down their supposed answers. Once the budding scientist has a pile of pennies, he or she should choose and collect their selection of cleaning solutions. So if you look at the coin in the vinegar solution, it made the old coin a little bit brighter and less brown. The soda cleans the pennies because it contains phosphoric acid. Find out! She is an accomplished screenwriter, teacher and blogger. While still scrubbing with the toothbrush, rinse the penny with room temperature water. This is because when the hydrochloric solution cleaned the coin and air dried it, it also took with it some of the salt. Sometimes, all you need is some glue, some baking soda or a few old pennies. Thanks for sharing! 1. Its acid! Well, its time to look at what is in our catsup! Stage 1: First, prepare all your cups and line them up. Do you notice any changes in the contents of the cups is anything bubbling, or changing color? *Note: This activity works best if you use 10 pennies that are equally dirty. Place the pennies in the bowl, and allow them to sit for several minutes. When oxygen binds with copper, they form a new molecule known as copper oxide. A coin collector prides himself on gathering pennies, but old tarnished pennies are an eyesore to anyone's collection. Put one penny in each of the liquids and make sure it's fully submerged. The project above is a DEMONSTRATION. Step 2: Dip one penny halfway into the liquid. Well, after you wash the ketchup off, that is. We are actually performing a chemical reaction that breaks down the copper oxide. I needed a quick science activity. Explore this article things needed 1 Preparation 2 Collect pennies of varying color Collect pennies of varying color. it does not say the date and author on the website! Place two equally tarnished pennies on each of three different plates. Therefore, each cleaning method you tested contained acid and salt, but the Ketchup and Tabasco sauce may have had a slightly weaker acid. Im going to use this for my science project at school but im going to do it for more then 10 minutes. So we proceeded to read the other ingredients and guess what we found? . Science - Lesson 6 of 50 - Grades 4,5,6, my middle school special education classroom. Washing the pennies in a vinegar and salt solution removes the patina from the pennies, exposing the brighter copper underneath once more. And so, these two liquids are the most acidic and therefore, the best coin cleaners! All rights reserved. Here is the science of cleaning pennies with ketchup. For any other use, please contact Science Buddies. Examples: Vinegar, Coke, Mustard, Mayo, Juice, Milk, Lemon Juice, etc. Wait about 5 minutes, then remove the pennies from the solution. Start a 1 minute timer. Place your 'Control, 1 minutes' penny into the 'Control 1' cup. Repeat steps 2-8 with the pennies in your 5 minutes column. of salt and a bowl, preferably metal. Later when you have your results, you will be able to look back on what they have written down and compare their results to their initial answers. . This is why bright shiny pennies dull with age. Discover the quickest ways to keep your Air Force 1s looking like they're fresh out of the box. You can only guess how highly acidic this ketchup must be! Now comes the hardest part of the experiment - the waiting. After quite some time, or after exposure to an acid, pennies will formcopper sulfate, carbonate, and chloride salts, which gives pennies a green color. So 1st cup will have catsup, 2nd will have coke, and so on. Slowly add water, 1 tablespoon at time, until youve created a paste. Different brands of Ketchup and Tabasco or hot sauce will have different amounts of salt and acid in their ingredients, so your results may be different than someone else doing this activity at their house. What about soda? Rank your solutions from which cleaned the penny the best, to which cleaned it the worst. Yes, thats right. So, the liquids that have worked best in your experiment are the ones that are more acidic. Your email address will not be published. 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. Here is a video of when we did the first stage of this experiment which we put up on our GallyKids Youtube Channel. chemistry, kitchen science experiments, coin experiments. Two student printables are included for recording and responding to the lesson. 6. Put 1 tablespoon Tabasco into each Tabasco cup. It turns out that when you mix vinegar and salt, a chemical reaction takes place and form what is called hydrochloric acid. Make three signs that say "Tomato Paste + Vinegar," "Salt + Vinegar," and "Tomato Paste + Salt.". And the best example of this reaction is the Statue of Liberty. Add the salt, and stir until the salt is completely dissolved. Leave them there for 10 minutes while you and your kids talk about the results of the first experiment. They look brown or black, and sometimes theyre so dirty looking that you cant even tell whether theyre pennies! Update Includes Google Slides version for distance learning science experime Subjects: Note: Some of the links on this page are affiliate links. Leave the control cups empty. Could you have cleaner pennies if you just used running water? Then write and draw your observations. Dont be afraid to use all your senses. Finally, after about 30 minutes to 1 hour, look at the coins again. Reviewed & Fact Checked byRebecca Carlock. Wash your hands. CokeCoke and off-brand colas will quickly remove the tarnish. Create a solution of vinegar and salt using one teaspoon of salt and 1/4 of a cup of vinegar. 4. The soda cleans the pennies because it contains phosphoric acid. They each include Question, Hypothesis, #1-How many drops of water can you fit on a, #2-Which liquid can you fit the most drops of on, to hook those kiddos and get them writing up a lab report! 2. The vinegar removed some of the copper from the pennies, if there is enough copper in the vinegar, the copper will become attracted by to the metal in the nuts and bolts and they will take on a new copper color - cool. My goal is to ease the burdens of educators by offering memorable learning activities. Who knew learning how to clean a penny could be so much fun? This is what the pennies look like sitting at the bottom of the glass. Take a few minutes to examine your chosen solutions. Stir in about one teaspoon of salt and mix until it dissolves. Pennies rust overtime. Then, you should have more acidic solutions like ketchup and the salt and vinegar mixture. All you need are, , water, dish soap, salt, and vinegar. more information Accept. When experimenting with how to clean pennies, we tested a variety of items, here are some ideas: Lemon or lime juice Water Soy sauce Dish soap White vinegar Ginger ale Ketchup Salt water Hot Sauce Mustard Milk Baking soda (we did not try this, but it would be a good option to add in!) Gently swirl the cup so that the penny is completely covered with Ketchup. Make your own mix of vinegar and salt at different concentrations. Label each cup with a pen so you and your kids know what liquid is in each up. 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. And be sure to share these additional fun learning activities with your kids! No, the scientific method isnt a chore. 2 or More Additional Solutions. You dont have to do the 2nd one, but its also a good scientific experiment and youll even find out why the Statue of Liberty is the color that it is. Check it out. Plus, theyll learn some cool facts about metals, the pH scale, and the Statue of Liberty. Younger kids might need a bit of help. 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. Check the coins, then come back again in another 30 minutes and see what has happened to the coins. So there you go, thats how it cleaned the coins too. It is a great sensory STEM activity for preschoolers and older children. Posted on Last updated: July 4, 2021 By: Author Kim. Why or why not? Your email address will not be published. Also after 10 mins none of them got cleaned but after an hour of the ketchup, it was mostly clean. Medioimages/Photodisc/Photodisc/Getty Images. If you want things to be fun and messy, you can always have your kids use their hands as long as you are happy to deal with the consequences of ketchup-coated fingers! Here are the scientific method steps and some sample questions to help you work through it. Its exactly the same reaction thats happening to the dearly beloved Statue of Liberty! Remember to be sensible and dont let them near any dangerous liquids like petroleum or bleach kids may come up with a few silly answers for fun, but as the adult, you need to draw the line at what is fun and what could be potentially dangers. Record your results; photographs are helpful. 'Balloon Powered Rocket, ' link: All rights reserved. Begin the experiment by placing a few pennies on a small plate. But we think that that alone could not clean coins this quickly. Making an hypothesis is easy its basically asking a question! You don't have to do the 2nd one, but it's also a good scientific experiment and you'll even find out why the Statue of Liberty is the color that it is. What do your results tell you about the special properties of copper pennies? Try other materials containing small amounts of acid to see which produces the best results. Gather up a few dirty pennies. You see, copper coins are usually shiny and well, copper-colored. One of the best things about this experiment is that it does not cost a lot to set up in terms of materials. Gently swirl the cup so that the penny is completely covered with Ketchup. While the coins are air drying in the second stage, you can talk your kids through their findings of the first stage together! You dont have to stop after doing this once. Book a Science PartyHave the Science Guy visit your school! What is the optimal time to leave the pennies in the cleaning solution? Well try and put up the next stage soon. Can you clearly see the date on the penny, or is it too dirty? Mix one tablespoon of salt with half a cup of vinegar in a small container and stir until the salt dissolves. Drop the pennies into the soda. Which penny is the cleanest, compared to its before picture? This is a great activity for using just exploring and giving open-ended questioning. Dry the pennies with a paper towel. 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. Drop eight to ten of the dirty pennies into the solution. This is your control. Do you notice any changes in the appearance of the pennies? Science - Lesson 1 of 50 - Grades 4,5,6 . 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. 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. If you have dirty, dull, or green pennies lying around, try the cleaning pennies science experiment to turn them bright again! Keep the pennies in the cup. What happened to the coins when air dried? I preceded the, a presentation from the U.S. Mint site on how coins are made. Once you have completed the process dont be afraid to go back and work through it again. What do your results tell you about the special properties of copper pennies? Its that dull dark. The students have to come up, a question, make a hypothesis, conduct an, a conclusion. Students try to figure out how many drops of water can fit on a, , and also test which types of water work best (Tap water, Salt water, Soapy water). Ask them questions, have them tell you what they see happening. The acids (usually vinegar - acetic acid) break the copper oxide free from the penny. ), and then explain why the salt and vinegar is the winner (sorry to give it awa, enrichment project during our money unit. Were you surprised by the results? How does time affect the cleanliness of the pennies? It can be done relatively quickly and with multiple ages. The unlikely condiment you need to be sure to include? Wipe the coins dry with their paper towels and compare them. After the 10 minutes have passed, use the tweezers to take the coins out of each cup. The acid in vinegar, like in citrus, is what really takes the tarnish away. Cleaning pennies with ketchup: easy and fun STEM for kids. This is a pretty safe experiment. Hypothesis: If I put a copper penny in coca cola, soap and water,. It was originally a dark brown color because it was made out of copper and over many years, it has slowly turned blue-green because the copper has transformed into malachite! Students will create a booklet or for a quicker project, just print the worksheet. ), 20 Best Sensory Tables Ideas for Toddlers and Pre-Schoolers, Science Fair For Kids: The Battle of the Senses (Taste vs., solutions like ketchup and the salt and vinegar mixture, https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WhAgQEr1LOE, Can Ketchup Clean a Penny? Ketchup. So for the 2nd stage of this experiment, you will work on these two materials alone. Extra: Test whether these cleaning solutions work on other types of coins. Kids will love trying their hand at the classic cleaning pennies science experiment to see if theycan use a chemical reaction to make pennies shine brightly once again. Using the tape and marker, label each dish or cup with the name of the solution that will go into it. Step 1 Fill a glass cup with vinegar and pour it in a non-metallic bowl. Wipe the penny off with a paper towel and rinse off. Leave the paper clip in the solution overnight. Pour a small amount of each solution you chose into a cup. And don't worry, I give the science behind it all! And also, dont forget to Subscribe to our channel for more fun kids activities. (Optional) Dip one piece of pH paper in each solution (it turns more blue for basic liquids and more red for acidic ones), let it dry, and label which liquid it was dipped in. MAKE IT AN EXPERIMENT. Experiment with even longer periods of time with each of the cleaning methods. But heres the question that Im sure is brewing in your mind. I'm a mom of three and STEM enthusiast. Its a great way to get their young minds critically thinking, and also challenges them to solve problems using logic. 'Fire Water Balloon, 25-IN-1 BUNDLE (Set 1 of 2) - Grades 4,5,6, What is in this '25-IN-1 BUNDLE'? To begin, the experimenter and supervising adult should plan out which solutions they have access to and can use to test their penny-cleaning capabilities. Leave the coins in the liquid for 10 minutes. Let the pennies soak for a little bit. For cleaning up, I used a variety of materials such as lemon, vinegar and salt, water, water with soap. 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. The kids had a lot of fun and the sorting sheet helped keep the organized and on track. There is a second stage to this experiment that you can also try out while you are talking to your kids about their results from the first stage. Smear a small amount of toothpaste onto a dirty penny. However, that uniquely, How to Clean Nike Air Force 1s so They're Good as New. Try leaving the pennies in the solutions for different lengths of time. Repeat step 4 two more times. At the end students write which solution, Lab Activity" is an engaging and interactive lab, designed for high school and college biology classes. The vinegar cleans the penny due to the acid in the vinegar. We laid our pennies out to look at them and were surprised with the results. Finally, wipe the coins dry with a tea towel or kitchen paper. - Lesson 5 of 50 - Grades 4,5,6 Our goal is to make science relevant and fun for everyone. She's worked as a freelance copywriter and fiction writer for over a decade. How to Wash Rothy's Shoes & Flats & Keep Them Odor Free. Learn how to wash Rothy's shoes so your go-to flats and loafers always look their best. Lesson and Program Overview: 2 colour pages The acid in ketchup is acetic acid, commonly known as vinegar. Look for pennies made before 1982 and roughly about the same time; this way they will be more tarnished and the pennies will have similar composition.
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