Dissolve coloured sweets to create a rainbow

By Declan Fleming2024-10-21T05:02:00

A glass dish with sweets around the edge whose colours have bled into the middle

Source: © Declan Fleming

Demonstrate diffusion, density and the particle model to your 14–16 learners in this easy experiment

When teaching 14–16 year-old learners the particle model, experiments can demonstrate the arrangement and motion of particles in solids, liquids and gases, for example, adding food colouring to water. However, this can take time that isn’t available in packed timetables. Thankfully, there are simple alternatives. In this Exhibition chemistry demonstration, chemistry teacher Declan Fleming shows how coloured sweets can provide easy and speedy experiments to help learners grasp the particle model, diffusion and density.

Thanks for using Education in Chemistry. You can view one Education in Chemistry article per month as a visitor.

A photograph of a teacher standing in a white lab coat, speaking with a class of children in a laboratory, is superimposed on a colourful background. Text reads "Teach Chemistry means support for classroom and staff room".

Register for Teach Chemistry for free, unlimited access

Registration is open to all teachers and technicians at secondary schools, colleges and teacher training institutions in the UK and Ireland.

Get all this, plus much more:

unlimited access to resources, core practical videos and Education in Chemistry articles
teacher well-being toolkit, personal development resources and online assessments
applications for funding to support your lessons

Set up your Teach Chemistry account

Already a Teach Chemistry member? Sign in now.

Not eligible for Teach Chemistry? Sign up for a personal account instead, or you can also access all our resources with Royal Society of Chemistry membership.