Hooked On Science – Dissolving Witches

SCIENCE SAFETY
PLEASE follow these safety precautions when doing any science experiment.
• ALWAYS have an adult present.
• ALWAYS wear the correct safety gear while doing any experiment.
• NEVER eat or drink anything while doing any experiment.
• REMEMBER experiments may require marbles, small balls, balloons, and other small parts. Those objects could become a CHOKING HAZARD. Adults are to perform those experiments using these objects. Any child can choke or suffocate on uninflated or broken balloons. Keep uninflated or broken balloons away from children.

INGREDIENTS
• Styrofoam Cups
• Acetone
• Disposable Gloves
• Pie Pan
• Witch Hat

INSTRUCTIONS
STEP 1: Place the disposable gloves on your hands and then pour 2 cups of acetone into the pie pan.
STEP 2: Stack 6 Styrofoam cups and then place the witch hat on top.
STEP 3: Place the Styrofoam cups and witch hat, cups first, into the pie pan of acetone and observe. Describe and classify the Styrofoam cups, before and after placing them into the pie pan of acetone, by their observable properties. Develop a model to describe how the Styrofoam cups are made of particles too small to be seen.

EXPLANATION
The acetone is a solvent that easily dissolves the bonds between the polymers, which make up the Styrofoam cups.

Download these instructions here and check the Hooked on Science page for more science experiments.