Rainbow rainfall
Homemade rainbow rain
Safety precautions
Perform this experiment only under adult supervision.
Reagents and equipment
- glass;
- water;
- shaving cream;
- food coloring, pipette.
Step-by-step instructions
Squeeze some shaving cream into a glass of water. Use a pipette to drip food coloring over the shaving cream. Observe as rainbow rain begins to fall from the foamy “clouds”!
Process description
Foam consists of gas bubbles enclosed in a liquid or solid medium. Think of the foam in a soda glass or dish sponge. When food coloring is dripped on the shaving cream, it partially dissolves in the foam. Meanwhile, gravity is constantly pulling down on it, and when the food coloring reaches the water layer, it dissolves to create beautiful swirling patterns.
You can find more cool experiments in the MEL Chemistry subscription!