dishwashing liquid oil and water experiment

Oil and Water Experiment: Simple Science for Kids

A fun and simple science experiment for kids using just 3 common household items.

Experimenting with oil,water and dishwashing detergent is a fun way to explore basic chemistry with kids.

This science experiment is suitable for kids over 4 years of age.

There is no need any special equipment… in fact I am sure you already have everything you need in your kitchen cupboards. It can be a little messy so I suggest attempting the experiment outside or somewhere that is easy to clean.

When my kids and I are playing with science I like to ask them lots of questions and listen to their answers – they come up with some very imaginative responses. But if you are interested in the facts, I have included an explanation for what is happening at the end of the post.

Oil, Water & Detergent Experiment

You will need:

• Glass jam jars (with secure lids if you want to shake them)
• Jug of water
• Vegetable oil
• Dishwashing detergent
• Food colouring
• Small container
• Syringes or pipettes
• A cloth for accidental spills
• Optional: Table salt

Experiment Directions: 1. Pour one cup of water into your glass jam jar.

2. Pour half a cup of vegetable oil on top of the water in the jar.

3. Stop and observe. Does the oil mix with the water? Screw the lid onto the jar and shake it…. can you make the oil and water  mix?

For children learning about density this is a great time to ask, “Is the vegetable oil more or less dense than the water?”

4. Mix a generous squirt of dishwashing detergent with some food colouring in the separate small container.

5. Using a dropper or a syringe squirt some coloured detergent into your oil and water filled jar.

7. If you would like to see a different reaction try pouring a teaspoon of salt into the mixture and watch what happens.

Oil and water experiment explanation: What is happening?

There are a lot of interesting things to note during this experiment.

Firstly oil and water do not mix. Even if you shake the jar the oil will immediately separate from the water as soon as it settles. Oil molecules are attracted to other oil molecules so they stick together. The same goes for water molecules….. so they just don’t mix – they are immiscible .

Secondly, the oil always floats on top of the water because the oil has a lower  density than water. You can find out why liquids layer by density in our Density Experiment .

Detergent is different again. It is attracted to both water and oil molecules. Detergent grabs onto both types of molecules causing oil droplets to be suspended in the water. When you shake the jar the detergent molecules adhere the water and oil together forming an emulsion. An emulsion is the combination of molecules that are not normally attracted to each other, that don’t usually mix. That is why detergent is so useful for cleaning greasy dishes!

You might also like…

Ali Wright is mum to two young mini makers – their favourite place to be is around the craft table with glitter in their hair. Ali's focus is on process oriented art as she loves watching her kids experiment with creative materials. When not busy with art and craft, you'll likely find them at work and play in their small city garden. As the mini makers love a good mess, their days include lots of water and messy play!

i just have a simple question. Do you have to use a glass jar? Can it be plastic?

Hi Cheryl, plastic will work too 🙂 Cheers Ali

hello, is there any safety risks involved or no ?

• Pingback: 100 TV Free Activities - Fullact Trending Stories With The Laugh Mixture

Hi! What type of Chemical Reaction is this? Your answer is very much appreciated.

can you use dishwashing liquid instead of detergant?

So, why does detergent separate water and oil?

Comments are closed.

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Mixing Oil & Water Science Experiment

Have you ever heard the saying, “Oil and water don’t mix”? For this easy science experiment, we observe exactly what does happens when we mix oil and water, then we’ll add another item to the mix to see how it changes!

With only a few common kitchen items, kids can explore density and the reaction of adding an emulsifier (dish soap) to the experiment. A printable instruction sheet with a materials list, demonstration video, and a simple scientific explanation are included.

JUMP TO SECTION: Instructions | Video Tutorial | How it Works

Supplies Needed

• Glass Jar with a lid (a pint canning jar works great)
• 1 cup Water
• Food Coloring
• 1 cup Oil (we used vegetable oil)
• 2 teaspoons Dish Soap

Mixing Oil & Water Science Lab Kit – Only $5

Use our easy Mixing Oil & Water Science Lab Kit to grab your students’ attention without the stress of planning!

It’s everything you need to  make science easy for teachers and fun for students  — using inexpensive materials you probably already have in your storage closet!

Mixing Oil & Water Science Experiment Instructions

Step 1 – Start by filling the jar with 1 cup of water.

Step 2 – Add a few drops of food coloring to the water and stir until combined. Make some observations about the water. What happened when the food coloring was added? Was it easy to mix the food coloring into the water? Does the food coloring stay mixed with the water? What do you think will happen when we pour the oil into the jar? Write down your hypothesis (prediction) and then follow the steps below.

Step 3 – Next pour 1 cup of oil into the jar. Make a few observations. Does the oil behave the same was as the food coloring did when you added it to the water?

Step 4 – Securely tighten the lid on the jar and shake it for 15-20 seconds.

Step 5 – Set the jar down and watch the jar for a couple of minutes. Observe what happens to the oil and the water and write down your findings. Did the oil and water stay mixed together? Was your hypothesis correct? Do you think there is anything else that can be added to the jar to prevent the oil and water from separating?

Step 6 – Next, take the lid off the jar and squirt in 1-2 teaspoons of dish soap.

Step 7 – Tighten the lid back on the jar and shake again for another 15-20 seconds.

Step 8 – Set the jar down and watch the liquid for a minute or two. Observe what happens to the oil and the water now that the dish soap has been added to the mix. Write down your findings. Did the oil and water stay mixed together this time? Do you know why adding the dish soap preventing the oil and water from separating? Find out the answer in the how does this experiment work section below.

Video Tutorial

How Does the Science Experiment Work

The first thing you will observe is that oil and water will not stay mixed together, no matter how hard you shake the jar. Instead, the oil slowly rises to the top of the water. This is because of the density of the two liquids. Density is a measure of the mass per unit volume of a substance. Water has a density of 1 g/mL (g/cm3). Objects will float in water if their density is less than 1 g/mL. Objects will sink in water if their density is greater than 1 g/mL. The oil is LESS dense than the water. This is because the molecules of oil are larger than the molecules of water, so oil particles take up more space per unit area. As a result, the oil will rise to the top of the water.

The second thing you will observe is that adding dish soap to the mixture changed the results of the experiment. When oil, water and dish soap are mixed together, the oil and water don’t separate like they did when they were the only two items in the jar. This is because of the chemistry of the oil, water and soap molecules.

Oil (and other fats) are made of nonpolar molecules, meaning they cannot dissolve in water. Water is made of polar molecules that can dissolve other polar molecules. Soap is made of molecules that have a hydrophilic (“water-loving”) end and a hydrophobic (“water-fearing”) end. Without soap, water and oil cannot interact because they are unlike molecules. When you add soap to the mixture, the hydrophobic end of the soap molecule breaks up the nonpolar oil molecules, and the hydrophilic end of the soap molecule links up with the polar water molecules. Now that the soap is connecting the fat and water, the non-polar fat molecules can be carried by the polar water molecules. Now the oil and water can be mixed together and stay mixed together!

I hope you enjoyed the experiment. Here are some printable instructions:

Mixing Oil & Water Science Experiment

• Glass Jar with a lid (a pint canning jar works great)

Instructions

• Start by filling the jar with 1 cup of water.
• Add a few drops of food coloring to the water and stir until combined.
• Pour 1 cup of Oil into the jar.
• Securely tighten the lid on the jar and shake it for 15-20 seconds.
• Set the jar down and watch the liquid for a minute or two. Observe what happens to the Oil and the Water.
• Next, take the lid off the jar and squirt in 1-2 teaspoons of dish soap.
• Tighten the lid back on the jar and shake again for another 15-20 seconds.
• Set the jar down and watch the liquid for a minute or two. Observe what happens to the Oil and the Water now that the dish soap has been added to the mix.

Reader Interactions

October 4, 2017 at 11:43 am

Super ….. !

October 6, 2017 at 12:12 pm

Hi ! This gives us really good experiment

November 6, 2017 at 3:40 pm

This was the best science fair project ever

November 14, 2017 at 5:10 pm

December 10, 2017 at 10:38 am

This experiment is fun

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May 24, 2018

Mix It Up with Oil and Water

A science shake-up activity from Science Buddies

By Science Buddies & Megan Arnett

A little mixup: Use kitchen chemistry to make oil and water blend. 

George Retseck

Key concepts Chemistry Surfactants Density Polarity

Introduction You may have heard people say, “Those two mix like oil and water,” when they’re describing two people who don’t get along. Maybe you’ve also noticed shiny oil floating on the surface of water puddles after it rains. In both cases you understand that water and oil don’t go well together—but have you ever wondered why? So many other things can dissolve in water—why not oil? In this activity we’ll explore what makes oil so special, and we’ll try making the impossible happen: mixing oil and water!

Background Unlike many other substances such as fruit juice, food dyes or even sugar and salt, oils do not mix with water. The reason is related to the properties of oil and water. Water molecules are made up of one oxygen atom and two hydrogen atoms. In addition to having this very simple structure, water molecules are polar, which means there is an uneven distribution of charge across the water molecule. Water has a partial negative charge from its oxygen atom and partial positive charges on its hydrogen atoms. This polarity allows water molecules to form strong hydrogen bonds with each other, between the negatively charged oxygen atom on one water molecule and the positively charged hydrogen atoms of another. Other molecules such as salts and sugars are able to dissolve in water because of its polarity as well. The charges at either end of the water molecule help break up the chemical structures of other molecules.

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Oils, by contrast, are nonpolar, and as a result they’re not attracted to the polarity of water molecules. In fact, oils are hydrophobic, or “water fearing.” Instead of being attracted to water molecules, oil molecules are repelled by them. As a result, when you add oil to a cup of water the two don’t mix with each other. Because oil is less dense than water, it will always float on top of water, creating a surface layer of oil. You might have seen this on streets after a heavy rain—some water puddles will have a coating of oil floating on them.

In this activity we will test the power of surfactants to help us mix oil and water. The surfactant we will use is dish detergent, which helps break up the surface tension between oil and water because it is amphiphilic: partly polar and partly nonpolar. As a result, detergents can bind to both water and oil molecules. We’ll see the results of this property in this activity!

2 clear plastic water bottles with lids

2 cups of water

One-half cup of oil (olive, cooking or vegetable oils will all work)

Liquid dishwashing soap

Clock or timer

Permanent marker

Measuring cup

Measuring spoon

Food coloring (optional)

Preparation

Remove any labels from your water bottles.

Use your marker to label the bottles: Label the first “Oil+Water” and the second “Oil+Water+Soap.” Write the labels as close to the tops of the bottles as possible.

Pour one cup of water into each bottle.  

Carefully measure and pour one-quarter cup of oil into the bottle labeled Oil+Water. Allow the bottle to sit on a countertop or flat surface while you observe the water and oil. Does the oil sink to the bottom of the bottle, sit on top of the water or mix with it?

Repeat this step, adding one-quarter cup oil to the bottle labeled Oil+Water+Soap. Does the oil sink to the bottom, sit on top of the water or mix with it?

Carefully add three tablespoons of dish soap to the bottle labeled Oil+Water+Soap. Try not to shake the bottle as you add the dish soap.

Make sure the bottle caps are screwed on tightly to each bottle.

Holding a bottle in each hand, vigorously shake the bottles for 20 seconds.

Set the bottles down on a flat surface with plenty of light.

Note the time on your clock or set a timer for 10 minutes.

Observe the contents of each bottle. Hold them up to a light one at time so you can clearly see what is happening inside the bottle. Did anything change when you shook the bottles? Do the mixtures look the same in the both? If not, what is different between them? How would you explain the differences that you observe?

After 10 minutes have passed look at the contents of the bottles and note the changes. What does the oil and water look like in each bottle? Has the oil mixed with the water, sink to the bottom or rise to the top?

Extra:  Add food coloring to the water to get a lava lamp effect

Extra:  Test other types of soap, such as toothpaste, hand soap and shampoo by mixing them with oil and water. 

Observations and results In this activity you combined oil and water then observed how adding dish detergent changed the properties of this mixture. First you should have noticed that when you added the oil to the water they did not mix together. Instead the oil created a layer on the surface of the water. This is because oil is less dense than water and therefore it floats to the surface. When you shook the Oil+Water bottle you might have noticed the oil broke up into tiny beads. These beads, however, did not mix with the water. After you let the Oil+Water bottle sit for 10 minutes you should have observed the oil and water starting separating again almost immediately, and after another 10 minutes there was once again two distinct layers in your bottle.

In contrast you should have found shaking the Oil+Water+Soap bottle resulted in a lot of foam, but instead of immediately starting to separate, the mixture was a cloudy, yellow color. Eventually the oil and water should have separated into two layers again, but these layers should have appeared less distinct and cloudier than the layers in your Oil+Water bottle.

The difference between the two bottles results from adding dish detergent to the Oil+Water+Soap bottle. The detergent molecules can form bonds with both water and oil molecules. Therefore, although the oil and water aren’t technically mixing with each other, the dish detergent molecules are acting as a bridge between oil and water molecules. As a result, the oil and water molecules aren’t clearly separated in the bottle. Instead, you see a cloudy mixture, resulting from the oil, soap and water chains you’ve created by adding dish detergent.

More to explore Goo-Be-Gone: Cleaning Up Oil Spills , from Science Buddies Make Your Own Lava Lamp , from Scientific American The Chemistry of Clean: Make Your Own Soap to Study Soap Synthesis , from Science Buddies Science Activities for All Ages! , from Science Buddies

This activity brought to you in partnership with Science Buddies

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Oil and Water Experiment

This classic oil and water experiment is sometimes referred to as “fireworks in a jar” because it looks like fireworks falling down from the oil. Kids will love learning about density and how oil and water do not mix in this fun and easy science experiment!

RELATED: Fireworks in a Jar

This simple science experiment explores density using oil and water. Expand this further by mixing or trying other oils – does it act the same way? You can even use a pipette to add drops of colored water to oil in a jar or cup and observe what happens.

What is Density?

Density is the amount of mass per unit of volume. Let’s say you have two objects and they are the same size. If one object is heavier, then it is denser and if the other object is lighter, then it is less dense.

What you will see in this experiment is that oil is less dense than water, so it will float on top of the water.

The Science Behind It

Oil and water do not mix. Oil is less dense than water and floats on top of the water. Food coloring is water-based so it mixes with the water. When you add the food coloring to the oil it will not mix. Once you add the oil to the water, the food colored droplets start to drop down since they are heavier than the oil. Once they drop into the water they start to dissolve and look like tiny explosions (or fireworks).

Supplies Needed

• Vegetable Oil – we used canola oil
• Food Coloring
• A Clear Jar or Vase

Watch the Video Tutorial Here

1. Fill your jar or vase 3/4 full with water.

2. Add oil into a bowl. You do not need a lot like we used – you can even just use about 4 tablespoons of oil for a thin layer. A little more oil will show the difference in density slightly better for kids.

3. Add 4 -5 drops of food coloring for each color you want to add. We used green, blue and purple food coloring. You can use any colors you’d like but we would recommend no more than 3 as the colors will mix quickly and will make it harder to see them dropping down.

4. Whisk the food coloring into the oil. You can point out at this stage that you can already tell the oil and water will not mix.  It’s best to whisk and add the oil straight into the jar or vase before the food coloring settles on the bottom of the bowl or or it may not form droplets when you add it to the water.

5. Add the oil into the water.

Now wait and see all of the little drops start to come down from the oil (making “fireworks”).

We love how easy this simple science experiment is – and kids will love to observe or make their own fireworks in a jar too!

More Science Experiments for Kids

• Try this fun and easy Grow a Rainbow Experiment . You only need washable markers and paper towel!
• For another fun experiment, make some oobleck! 
• Try a rainbow rain cloud in the jar experiment!

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Related ideas:.

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Science Fun

Do Oil And Water Mix Density Science Experiment

In this fun and easy density science experiment for kids, we’re going to see if oil and water mix. 

• Empty plastic bottle
• Food coloring
• Cooking oil
• Dish washing liquid

Instructions:

• Add ½ cup of water to the empty plastic bottle.
• Add a drop or two of food coloring to the water.
• Add ½ cup of cooking oil to the plastic bottle.
• Screw the lid onto the bottle and shake vigorously.
• Set the bottle down and observe what happens.

EXPLORE AWESOME SCIENCE EXPERIMENT VIDEOS!

How it Works:

This is a great activity to observe density in action. As the bottle sits undisturbed after shaking, density will quickly take over and the oil will make its way past the more dense water toward the top of the bottle. 

Make This A Science Project:

Try different types of oil. Try adding salt to the experiment. Try warm water. Try adding a drop of dish soap. 

EXPLORE TONS OF FUN AND EASY SCIENCE EXPERIMENTS!

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Mixing oil and water science experiment

July 13, 2020 by Kate 2 Comments

Science always sparks great interest and questions from children when involved in experiments. Encourage your child to learn about density of liquids by having prepared this mixing oil and water science experiment . It’s great fun and you can prepare it with only a few simple ingredients.

Possum (aged 8 years) and Boo (aged 5 years) absolutely love to engage with science experiments and this was certainly a fun one for us to try at home.

This simple science activity teaches children about liquid density and highlights how some liquids are heavier or lighter than others. It’s visually appealing and makes for some great opportunities for younger ones to verbalise what they see is happening.

Recommended age – 5 years + (Strict and active supervision is required at all times)

For this science activity, you’ll need to collect the following items –

• Bowl or jar
• Food coloring

Items required for this experiment are found around the home or at your local craft store.

Begin by filling some small cups with water.

Add 2-3 drops of food coloring to each cup and stir with spoon.

Fill the larger cup or bowl with baby oil.

Keep in mind, you don’t need to fill your bowl too much with oil. About 1/4 or 1/2 way is fine.

Fill a dropper with the colored water and have your child sprinkle the water over the oil and observe.

Can your child describe what is happening?

Your child should be able to observe that the droplets of water do not mix with the water.

Why does the oil and water not mix together?

There are two parts to this answer.

Firstly, the molecules in oil are attracted to other molecules in oil.

Same with water, water is attracted to water!

Secondly, oil and water have difference densities . That means they weight different amounts. Oil is much heavier than water so the oil is likely to sit towards the surface of the water. This mixing oil and water science experiment for kids is fascinating!

Additional information about the science of this activity can be found at this great article .

Your child should notice, adding more and more droplets makes no difference. The water and oil will still not combine. The oil and water would continue to separate, regardless if it were to be shaken in a tightly sealed jar.

Oil and water are not friends!

Over time teeny tiny droplets of water will look to discolour the oil, but will soon separate again.

Mixing oil and water science experiment (extention)

You might like to extend this activity and challenge your children by adding a few drops of liquid dishwashing detergent.

Does the liquid detergent change your original observations?

February 10, 2021 at 8:26 am

This is amazing mahn, it would be so much fun experimenting with this stuff especially when you are bored at home. I love most of your blogs, the way you put everything in simple words with images just shows how much you really care about your readers. Thanks 😉

March 21, 2021 at 7:22 am

Love this post! Might be worth correcting that water is heavier (more dense) than oil though, and that’s why it sits under the oil – not the other way around as written

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Home › Blog › Kids Activities › Simple Science Experiment for Kids with Oil and Water

Simple Science Experiment for Kids with Oil and Water

Published May 23, 2024

Updated Aug 04, 2024

Are you ready for an oil and water experiment for kids? This oil and water experiment will teach kids about density and how different molecules react with one another. The fun part about this oil and water science experiment is kids will also be able to explore colors! It’s a lot of fun and educational. You can do this oil and water experiment at home or in the classroom.

Oil And Water Science Experiment

Science is awesome!   Simple science experiments that are mesmerizing are even better! We have played with oil and water tons of times over the years with our kids.  Just recently however we discovered the joy of emulsion agents!  If you haven’t played with oil and emulsions – try it.

You’ll need some kids, this science experiment is a favorite!  Had my kids playing all day.

This post contains affiliate links.

Related: Download and print our scientific method steps for kids with these science printable worksheets.

Oil and Water Science Experiment Ingredient List:

• Food Coloring
• Vegetable Oil

Video: How To Mix Oil and Water Science Experiment

How To Do This SImple Oil And Water Science Experiment

• Pour oil into a plate enough to completely cover the bottom of the dish.
• Mix up the water and the food coloring.  
• Then pour your dyed water into the oil.  So cool to watch the globs moving in the dish.

Have your kids stir the oil and water, trying to mix them. Then sit and watch as the water separates from the oil again.

• Next, stir up your egg yolk and drop a couple of spoonful of yolk into the oil and water.  
• Mix the water and oil again. When you stir it the liquid will become creamy looking as the two liquids mix. Chemistry!

Why Won’t The Oil and Water Mix?

Because water and oil are immiscible. Water is a polar molecule that has a positive charge on one end and a negative charge on the other. Water molecules can stick to each other because the positive end of a water molecule will stick to the negative side of another.

Oil molecules are non polar. It has an evenly balanced charge. So this will allow oil molecules to attract to other oil molecules.

Because of this, water and oil will never mix.

Why Does The Oil Mix With Water When You Add Egg Yolk?

This is exactly why so many recipes you make require eggs. Egg yolk has something called lethicin in it that helps oil and water to connect both to each other and to the other ingredients in your recipe.

What Does This Oil and Water Experiment Have To Do With Density?

Density is the measurement that determines the amount of space taken up by an object or substance. There is an equation, and we won’t go into that. What we need to know about density is that if you have a dense liquid and mix it with a less dense liquid, the less dense liquid will stay at the top.

Like oil and water.

Oil is less dense than water so it will always float to the top. Now, if you added corn syrup to the oil and water experiment mixture, you would see that the corn syrup will fall to the bottom.

Simple Oil and Water Science Experiment For Kids

Let's learn about density and molecules with this simple, but fun and colorful oil and water science experiment.

Instructions

• Have your kids stir the oil and water, trying to mix them.
• Then sit and watch as the water separates from the oil again.

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What did you learn doing this oil and water experiment?

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STEM Newcastle

Science, technology, engineering and maths, #trythistuesday: oil and water.

For this experiment all you will need is a clear bottle or jar with a lid, water, cooking oil and some washing up liquid.

Fill the water bottle half full with water.

Pour about 100ml of oil in to the bottle and observe what happens.

The Science

Oil is less dense than water so floats on top. Oil and water don’t mix together as the water molecules are more attracted to each other than the oil molecules. Oil molecules are hydrophobic or ‘water-fearing’.

Washing up liquid molecules are attracted to both water and oil. When you add a squirt in, one end of the washing up liquid molecule attaches to a water molecule and the other end attaches to an oil molecule. This creates a mix of water with oil droplets spread throughout it. This is because one end of the washing up liquid molecule is hydrophobic (water fearing) and one is hydrophilic (water loving).

The washing up liquid acts as a stabiliser and creates an emulsion. This is a mixture of two liquids that wouldn’t normally mix.

Real Life Applications

We use washing up liquid when we are washing up as it attaches to the oil on the dirty dishes and lifts it off into the water.

Animals that live in the ocean also stay warm by producing an oily substance on their fur or feathers which keeps the cold water away from their skin.

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Home » Parents & Families » Family Resource Library » Science » Oil and Water Experiments

Oil and Water Experiments

Some liquids are so dense.

Why don’t oil and water mix?   The answer begins with “molecules.” Molecules are the very tiny particles that make up  everything. Some substances are made of a lot of molecules. They are heavier, or more dense, than others. Think of paper cups with marbles in them. One cup has four marbles. The other cup is half-filled with marbles. The marbles in the half-filled cup are close together. That’s called density, and it is heavier.

Water molecules are only attracted to water molecules. Oil molecules are only attracted to other oil molecules.

Water is more dense (heavier) than oil so they can’t mix. Oil floats above the water.

See what that looks like in this easy experiment.

Four ingredients:

    food coloring

    cooking oil

    table salt

Step 1:  Fill a glass about two-thirds full with tap water.

Step 2:  Add a couple of drops of food coloring and stir.

Step 3:  Add cooking oil to almost fill the glass. Watch carefully!

Now for the really neat part!

Step 4:  Use a salt shaker to pour salt over the mixture. Watch the oil fall and rise. Continue adding salt to keep the movement going.

What is happening? Here’s the science:

Salt is more dense (heavier) than oil or water so it is going to sink. As the salt sinks it pulls blobs of oil down with it. When the salt starts to dissolve, it releases the oil. The oil rises back to the surface. You get dancing oil!

Learn more about the density of oil in the next experiment.

Make a Rainbow in a Jar

Ingredients

2) Light corn syrup (add food coloring)

3) Blue or green dish soap

4) Cooking oil

5) Rubbing alcohol (add food coloring to contrast with the dish soap)

You’ll also need:

A tall clear container with a tight-fitting lid

A pipette or a drinking straw

A permanent marker or grease pencil

Step1: Prepare your container. Measure the height of your container and divide by six. Give the oil two times as much space as the other ingredients. Mark the portions on the container with the marker.

Step 2: Prepare your ingredients. Determine your color scheme and add food coloring to the clear liquids. Note: cooking oil is not clear, AND it won’t mix with food coloring.

Step 3: Slowly pour each ingredient in the order they are listed above.  Aim for the center of the container as you pour ingredients 1 through 4.

Don’t pour number 5 into the center! The alcohol needs to be gently dripped down the inside wall of the container using a pipette or a drinking straw. (See how to use a straw as a pipette below.)

Something unexpected is going to happen! See if you can guess by looking at the finished Rainbow in a Jar photo.

What is happening? Here’s the science:  The liquids remain separate because their densities are different. The ingredients are added in order so that the most dense liquid is on the bottom. Oil is the least dense of the liquids, so it floats to the top.

How to use a straw as a pipette:  Put one end of the straw into the alcohol and cover the other end firmly with your finger. This creates a small vacuum that holds liquid in the straw. Lift your finger from the straw to release the liquid to gradually transfer liquid from one container to the other.

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Seven-Layer Density Column

Anyone can stack blocks, boxes, or books, but only those with a steady hand and a little understanding of chemistry can stack liquids.

Print this Experiment

What if you could stack seven different liquids in seven different layers?

Experiment Videos

Here's What You'll Need

Light corn syrup, vegetable oil, dawn dish soap (blue), rubbing alcohol, lamp oil (select a cool color like red, available at a department store), glass cylinder, food coloring, food baster, seven plastic cups, scale (optional), let's try it.

Measure 8 ounces of each type of liquid into the seven plastic cups. Depending on the size of the glass cylinder, you might need more or less of each liquid—8 ounces is just a good starting point. You may want to color the corn syrup and the rubbing alcohol with a few drops of food coloring to create a more dramatic effect in your column. Here is the order of layers starting from the bottom and working your way to the top:

Honey Corn Syrup Dish Soap Water Vegetable oil Rubbing alcohol Lamp oil

Start your column by pouring the honey into the cylinder. It is very important to pour the liquids carefully into the center of the cylinder. Make sure the honey does not touch the sides of the cylinder while you are pouring. It’s important to let each layer settle before adding the next one. Take your time and pour slowly and carefully.

The next layer is corn syrup. Again, try not to let the corn syrup touch the sides of the container as you’re pouring. The key is to pour slowly and evenly.

Repeat the same procedure with the dish soap. Pour the soap directly into the middle of the layer of corn syrup . . . and take your time pouring!

Stop for just a second to enjoy your success. You’re almost halfway to your goal of stacking seven layers of liquid. The next liquid is water, and you’ll need to use the food baster—it’s like a giant medicine dropper for food. From this point forward, it’s okay to let the liquids touch the sides of the cylinder. In fact, it’s a must! Dip the tip of the food baster in the cup of water, squeeze the bulb, and draw up some water. Rest the tip of the food baster on the inside wall of the cylinder and slowly squeeze the bulb. Let the water slowly trickle down the glass to create the next layer. Take your time!

You’ll use the food baster once again for the next layer—vegetable oil. Use the inside wall of the cylinder to let the vegetable oil slowly trickle down and form the next layer.

Wash the food baster with some soap and water in the sink before moving on to the rubbing alcohol. If you have not already colored the rubbing alcohol, use a couple drops of food coloring to make sure this layer isn’t confused with water. Use the food baster and the inside wall of the cylinder to add this next layer.

You’re one layer away from success. Again, rinse the food baster in the sink before moving on to the lamp oil. Since lamp oil is flammable, you must do this last step away from any open flames. Use the food baster to draw up some lamp oil, which has a low surface tension and easily leaks out of the food baster. Keep your finger over the tip as you transport it over to the cylinder. By now you’re a pro at this. Use the baster and the inside wall of the cylinder to slowly add the final liquid layer.

Take your much-deserved bow and accolades from the guests in the viewing stands (or your friends hanging out in the kitchen). You’ve made a seven-layer science burrito, so to speak.

How Does It Work

The science secret here is density . Density is a measure of how much mass is contained in a given unit volume (density = mass divided by volume). If mass is a measure of how much “stuff” there is in an object or liquid, density is a measure of how tightly that “stuff” is packed together. Based on this density equation (Density = Mass ÷ Volume), if the weight (or mass) of something increases but the volume stays the same, the density has to go up. Likewise, if the mass decreases but the volume stays the same, the density has to go down. Lighter liquids (like water or rubbing alcohol) are less dense or have less “stuff” packed into them than heavier liquids (like honey or corn syrup). Every liquid has a density number associated with it. Water, for example, has a density of 1.0 g/cm 3 (grams per cubic centimeter—another way to say this is g/mL, which is grams per milliliter). Here are the densities of the liquids used in the column, as well as other common liquids:

The numbers in the table are based on data from manufacturers of each item. Densities may vary from brand to brand. You’ll notice that according to the number, rubbing alcohol should float on top of the lamp oil, but we know from our experiment that the lamp oil is the top layer. Chemically speaking, lamp oil is nothing more than refined kerosene with coloring and fragrance added. Does every brand of lamp oil exhibit the same characteristics? Sounds like the foundation of a great science fair project. So, the next time you’re enjoying a glass of iced tea, you’ll know why those ice cubes float. That’s right . . . it’s all about density.

Take It Further

If you want to create an even cooler science burrito, add the “meat and black olives.” In other words, select a few items from around the house (safety pin, key, staple, peanut, raisin, chocolate chip, small rubber bouncy ball, ping pong ball, etc.—be creative!) and carefully drop each item individually into the center of the cylinder. Some items will stay on or near the top of the stack of liquids and other items will sink part or all of the way down to the bottom of the cylinder. Why the difference? The densities and masses of the objects you drop into the liquids vary. If the layer of liquid is more dense than the object itself, the object stays on top of that liquid. If the layer of liquid is less dense than the object, the object sinks through that layer until it meets a liquid layer that is dense enough to hold it up. Here’s something else you can do to illustrate the connection between weight (or mass) and density. Set up a scale and weigh each of the liquids from your column. Make sure that you weigh equal portions of each liquid. You should find that the weights of the liquids correspond to their level in the column. For example, the honey will weigh more than the corn syrup. By weighing these liquids, you will find that density and weight are closely related.

Safety Information

Lamp oil is a flammable liquid and must be handled with care. Adult supervision is required. Need I remind you to never light your Seven-Layer Density Column on fire? Just don’t do it.

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Science project, cleansing power: how does dishwashing liquid work.

Have you ever wondered why it takes more than just water to get your clothes and dishes clean? Detergent dissolves in water and attaches to things like dirt and whatever is staining your clothes to help dissolve them into the water to be washed away. But how does dishwashing liquid work, and where does its cleansing power come from?

Most detergents are amphiphilic , which means they are partly hydrophilic and partly hydrophobic . Hydrophilic means a molecule is polar , and thus is attracted to water. Hydrophobic describes to non-polar molecules that don’t like to mix with water.

Observe how detergent interacts with oil in water.

What will happen when you add detergent to an oil-water mixture?

• Laundry detergent
• 4 clear glasses or jars
• Spoon (for stirring)
• Labeling tape
• Fill the 4 clear glasses until they are mostly full with water. Make sure each cup has the same amount of water.
• Label the first glass as your control . This glass will contain only clean water so that you can compare it with the other cups.
• In glass 2, add 1 tablespoon of detergent.
• In glass 3, add 1 tablespoon of olive oil.
• In glass 4, add 1 tablespoon of detergent and 1 tablespoon of olive oil.
• Stir each cup vigorously and record your observations.
• Repeat the experiment using different detergents, like shampoo and soap. Record your observations and compare your results.

Cup 2 will be mostly clear with some bubbles produced by the detergent. Cup 3 will have obvious phases, as oil and water do not mix. Cup 4 will be cloudy, as the oil will have bound to the detergent.

Because detergents are amphiphilic, they help oils become more soluble in water. The hydrophobic (non-polar) parts of the detergent molecules bind to the non-polar oil molecules. Simultaneously, the hydrophilic (polar) parts of the detergent molecules bind with the water so that the entire molecule can dissolve in water. This results in a cloudy solution of water and the molecules formed by detergent and oil.

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Adding Soap to Oil & Water

Why Oil Won't Mix in Water?

If two of your friends mix like oil and water, and you invite them both to a party, things could get awkward. Oil and water are immiscible , which means they don't mix. If your friends have to stay in the same room, they'll probably end up on opposite sides, glaring at each other. This is essentially what happens when you add oil to a container of water: The oil and water molecules stay apart, and because oil is less dense, the oil molecules gravitate to the top of the container and leave the lower part of the container to the water molecules.

Add soap to a mixture of oil and water, however, and things are different. Soap acts like a third person who is on good terms with both of your friends and can make them feel comfortable enough to stay in the same room. Soap doesn't make oil dissolve in water, but it helps break the oil molecules into smaller ones that can disperse in water.

How Soap Mediates Between Oil and Water

When two hydrogen atoms combine with an oxygen atom to form a water molecule, the hydrogens migrate to one side of the oxygen, creating a charge difference between the two sides. Water molecules electrostatically attract each other to form a hydrogen bond, which isn't as strong as the covalent bond holding the molecules together but is still quite strong. Water will mix only with other polar molecules or charged ions with an electrical attraction sufficient to break, or at least modify, this hydrogen bond.

Oil molecules are much larger than water molecules, and more important, they don't have a polar charge . When you pour oil into water, the oil molecules can't coax the water molecules away from their hydrogen bond, so the oil molecules clump together and form large globs that migrate to the surface, where they form a separate layer.

The soap molecule structure is a long string of hydrocarbons with one uncharged end and the other end ionic, or charged. The soap molecule is hydrophilic and hydrophobic , meaning that it is both attracted to and repelled by water. Because the uncharged end mixes with oil, and the charged end mixes with water, soap molecules can break the oil molecules into smaller ones and allow the water molecules attached to them to surround the smaller oil fragments, creating an emulsion.

Oil, Water and Soap Experiment

You can see this dynamic in action by pouring vegetable oil into a glass of water. Note how the oil forms beads that migrate to the surface. You can break these beads apart by shaking the glass, but as soon as the shaking stops, the beads reform and the oil rises again.

Now add a few squirts of dish soap and shake again. This time, the mixture will become cloudy. The cloudiness occurs because the soap breaks the oil molecules into smaller fragments and disperses them throughout the solution. The oil didn't dissolve in the same way that salt dissolves in water; the molecules are just too small and scattered too far apart to form into clumps, but they will regroup if you let the container stand overnight.

Soap Cleans Greasy Dishes

A useful oil and water experiment conclusion is that trying to clean greasy and oily dishes with water alone is bound to fail, because the oil won't mix and will stay on the dishes, no matter how much water you use. Hot water helps, but only a little. You need soap to do the job right, because soap breaks the oil molecules apart and allows the water molecules to surround them, so they will wash away.

Related Articles

Molecular activity of water vs. oil, water polarity experiments, what happens to ionic & covalent compounds when they..., how does detergent break surface tension, does acid dissolve oil, why mineral oil & water don't mix, how does alcohol dissolve oil, science projects on separating oil and water, what is in corn syrup that makes a bubble, how to separate oil & water layers, ideas for how to get oil out of water, three ways that polarity of water molecules affect..., water bottle science experiments, what happens to nonpolar molecules in water, are ions hydrophobic or hydrophilic, how to extract oil from flowers, substances that won't dissolve in water, easy 10-minute science projects, is grease dissolving in soapy water a physical or chemical....

• Chemistry Libre Texts: Fats and Oils
• Scientific American: Mix It Up with Oil and Water
• Oregon Museum of Science and Industry: Oil and Soap

About the Author

Chris Deziel holds a Bachelor's degree in physics and a Master's degree in Humanities, He has taught science, math and English at the university level, both in his native Canada and in Japan. He began writing online in 2010, offering information in scientific, cultural and practical topics. His writing covers science, math and home improvement and design, as well as religion and the oriental healing arts.

Photo Credits

Abstract image of oil drops in water image by George Dolgikh from Fotolia.com

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5 Simple Experiments with Water

April is known for it’s rain showers.  What better time to try some simple science experiments with water!  Today, I’m sharing with you 5 simple experiments that need only a few items and take just a few seconds to set up, yet are fun and explore different properties of water.

  1.  Bending pencil experiment

 Materials needed:

• glass with water 2/3 full

Place a pencil in the water, placing it so that it is tipped to one side.  Look through the front of the glass and notice that the pencil is bent.

The science behind it:

Light “bends” when it passes though one substance to another of a different density.  The light is first travelling through the air, and then it passes through the water.  Since the water is more dense than the air, the light rays bend in the water.  This makes the pencil seem to bend as well.  The process of light bending is called refraction.

2.  Rainbow light experiment  

Materials needed:

• Glass of water
• piece of white paper
• full sunlight

Place a glass of water in direct sunlight. Hold the white paper below the glass.  Look for the rainbow!

Rainbows are formed when light passes through water droplets.  As the light comes through, it is refracted, just like in the bending pencil experiment above.  As a result, the light separates into its different colors, which forms the rainbow.

3. Oil vs. water experiment  

• glass or bottle
• vegetable oil or a similar cooking oil
• dishwashing liquid

Pour water into the glass.  Pour vegetable oil into the glass.  Observe what happens.  (The vegetable oil and water separate into layers.) Add dishwashing liquid and stir.  Observe what happens.

Water and oil are both made up of molecules that are strongly attracted to each other.  Water molecules have a positive charge on one end and a negative charge on the other end.  Since the opposite ends of the molecule have different charges, it is called a polar molecule.  The molecules in the oil are more evenly spaced out, and therefore do not have charges on the opposite ends of the molecule.  These are called non-polar molecules.  Since the water and oil molecules are different types, they do not mix.  When the dishwashing liquid is added, it causes the bonds between the molecules to change, and allows the liquids to mix. 

4. Which holds more? volume experiment  

• large measuring cup filled with water
• short and tall glasses of different volumes

*Note:  This activity works best with a tall, thin glass/vase as well as a short, fat glass.  I check the volumes ahead of time to make sure the volume of the short glass is more than the tall vase.

Procedure: 

Show the kids the short and tall glasses.  Let them choose which they believe will hold the most water.  (They almost always choose the tall, thin glass.)  Pour the water into this glass.  Since they chose the glass that they believe holds the most water, remind them that if you pour the water from their glass to the other glass, the water should fill the other glass and still have water left in their glass.  Pour the water into the second glass to test their hypothesis that their chosen container holds the most water.   (My son was shocked when the water was poured into the second glass and it did not fill it entirely!)

The science behind the experiment:

Most kids think that the taller the glass, the more water it must hold.  This is not always the case, especially if it is tall and thin.  This simple experiment shows that you cannot determine the volume based on the height of an object. 

5. Surface Tension experiment  

• measuring cup filled with water

Pour water into the glass, filling it to the brim.  With the eyedropper, carefully add additional water to the glass.  Continue to add water until it over flows. Observe the surface of the water and watch it bulge above the top of the glass.

As I mentioned in the oil vs. water experiment, water is a polar molecule.  This makes the water molecules stick together with a very strong bond.  The surface of the water bulges upward with each drop of water, until the molecules can no longer stick together at the top of the glass.  This is called surface tension.  You can also try this experiment with dropping pennies into the glass, to see how many pennies you can add, before it the water spills over the edge.  Likewise, you can also try it with other liquids.  Rubbing alcohol is a good liquid to try, as it does not have a high surface tension value like water does.

Happy experimenting!

Love this, Leann! So simple but so fun. My 4 year old loves experiments and is always asking to do them. Pinned to my Hands-On Science board and will re-pin to my preschool board as well. Going on the lesson plan for next week, too.

I remember this from when I was a kid and how magicial it felt when I discovered these concepts. Thanks for sharing! We’d love for you to share this on our After School Link up http://www.theeducatorsspinonit.blogspot.com/2013/04/creating-and-learning-with-clothespins.html

Fantastic! Thanks for the easy experiments but also the science behind it!

Great hands-on learning. Thanks!

It is AMAZING. It is easy to do & it is so helpful to my projects.. Thank you leann

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Compare dishwashing liquids for their ability to clean oils.

Introduction: (initial observation).

Almost all manufacturers of detergents claim that their products can clean better. What is the fact? Which one really cleans best? Some buyers compare the price and simply buy the more expensive one assuming that there must be a good reason for price difference. Those who are more price conscious may choose the cheapest one assuming that they are all the same.

In this project you will compare three (or more) different detergents for their ability to remove organic stain. Here we focus on organic stain because organic stain is the most common form of stain. Organic stains are stains from plants or animal sources such as stains from foods and fruits.

This project guide contains information that you need in order to start your project. If you have any questions or need more support about this project, click on the “ Ask Question ” button on the top of this page to send me a message.

If you are new in doing science project, click on “ How to Start ” in the main page. There you will find helpful links that describe different types of science projects, scientific method, variables, hypothesis, graph, abstract and all other general basics that you need to know.  

Project advisor

Information Gathering:

For each dishwashing liquid you choose to test see if there is a home-page on the web and find any information the producer provides about that specific product. Also search the web for the term “detergents” and related terms to gain useful information about detergents.

Visit your local library and find books about soaps and detergents. Get an idea of what material is used in making detergents.

Some information, reports, and related sites for your review:

Stain Removal Chart

Stain Removal Guide

Stain Removal for washable fabric

Quick and Easy stain removal

Holiday Tips (Stain Removal)

Question/ Purpose:

What do you want to find out? Write a statement that describes what you want to do. Use your observations and questions to write the statement.

The purpose of this project is to find out which dishwashing liquid is more effective on dissolving oil.

Identify Variables:

When you think you know what variables may be involved, think about ways to change one at a time. If you change more than one at a time, you will not know what variable is causing your observation. Sometimes variables are linked and work together to cause something. At first, try to choose variables that you think act independently of each other.

The independent variable is the brand of the dishwashing liquid.

The dependent variable is the the amount of oil that can be dissolved by each unit of the detergent. This is the same as the ratio of oil to detergent.

Controlled variables are:

• Concentration of detergent (ratio of detergent to water)
• Temperature

Constants are:

• method, procedures and water
• Original form of detergent (liquid, powder)

Hypothesis:

Based on your gathered information, make an educated guess about what types of things affect the system you are working with. Identifying variables is necessary before you can make a hypothesis.

In your hypothesis you will state which dishwashing liquids you have selected for comparison and which of them you think is most effective in dissolving oil. The hypothesis may be based on your intuition or past experiences with detergents.

This is a sample hypothesis:

I hypothesize that among the three detergents I am comparing (Dawn, Ajax, Palmolive), the Ajax will be more effective in removing oils.

Experiment Design:

Design an experiment to test each hypothesis. Make a step-by-step list of what you will do to answer each question. This list is called an experimental procedure. For an experiment to give answers you can trust, it must have a “control.” A control is an additional experimental trial or run. It is a separate experiment, done exactly like the others. The only difference is that no experimental variables are changed. A control is a neutral “reference point” for comparison that allows you to see what changing a variable does by comparing it to not changing anything. Dependable controls are sometimes very hard to develop. They can be the hardest part of a project. Without a control you cannot be sure that changing the variable causes your observations. A series of experiments that includes a control is called a “controlled experiment.”

Materials Needed are:

• Samples of 3 different dishwashing liquids
• 4 test tubes 16x150mm or similar size
• Test tube rack
• Metric ruler

Procedure :

• Label each test tube with the name of one of the dishwashing liquids. Label one test tube as “Control”.
• Label each pipette with the name of one of the dishwashing liquids you compare. Also label one pipette “water” and the last pipette “oil”.
• Use the pipettes to add 2 ml dishwashing liquid to each test tube. Make sure you use same-name test tubes and pipette for each detergent in order to prevent cross contamination.
• Use the “water” pipette to add 10 ml water to each dishwashing test tube. Add 12 ml water to the “control” test tube.
• Use the “oil” pipette to add 5ml oil to each of the test tubes.
• Shake each tube vigorously for 30 seconds and then put them in the test tube rack.
• After 1 hour, the material will separate in 3 layers. The lowest layer will be the emulsion. Above that you will have a layer of oil. Finally you will have some foam over the oil. Measure and record the height of emulsion, oil and foam in each test tube. The test tube with the highest emulsion and the highest foam and the lowest oil contain the detergent that is the most effective in dissolving oil.

Your results table may look like this:

The above data table can be analyzed and processed to get a more understandable results table. We really want to know what ratio of oil was dissolved by 2 ml detergent. If you deduct the height of oil column in each experimental test tube from the height of the oil column in the control test tube, and then divide the results by the height of oil column in the control test tube, you will gat the ratio of oil that is dissolved.

Multiply the ratio by 5 ml (initial amount of oil) to calculate the amount of dissolved oil in milliliters.

Divide the dissolved oil amount by the detergent amount to get the dissolved oil per ml of detergent.

You can then right that in your results table like this:

Make a graph:

Use a bar graph to visually present your experiment results. Make one vertical bar for each of the dishwashing liquids you test. Write the name of dishwashing liquids under the bars. The height of each bar represents the amount of oil dissolved by one ml of each dish washing liquid.

Results of Experiment (Observation):

The data could be presented in written form or a bar graph would be an excellent visual method of displaying the final results. Each brand tested should have its own bar. The length of the bars would be proportional to the percent of stain removed or percent of stain that remained.

Calculations:

Calculate the ratio of dissolved oil:

Deduct the height of oil column in each experimental test tube from the height of the oil column in the control test tube, and then divide the results by the height of oil column in the control test tube, you will gat the ratio of oil that is dissolved.

Height of oil in the experimental test tube is 21mm

Height of oil in the control test tube is 36

The ratio of dissolved oil is: (36 – 21) / 36 = 0.416

Calculate dissolved oil

Dissolved oil = 0.416 x 5 = 2.08ml

dissolved oil per ml of detergent = 2.08 / 2 = 1.04

This means that each 1 ml of the detergent can dissolve 1.04 ml of the oil

All the numbers in the above examples are fictional. Real values may be very different.

Summary of Results:

All measurements should be recorded in the project book and may be presented in the final project report either as numerical data or shown as a bar graph. For each brand of detergent tested, the length of the bar should show the percentage of stain removed.

Conclusion:

The conclusion to the report will state the ranking of the various detergents, and decide if the original hypothesis was proved or disproved. The conclusions might also state any relationships you have noted between the popularity of a given detergent and its effectiveness or its price.

Related Questions & Answers:

What you have learned may allow you to answer other questions. Many questions are related. Several new questions may have occurred to you while doing experiments. You may now be able to understand or verify things that you discovered when gathering information for the project. Questions lead to more questions, which lead to additional hypothesis that need to be tested.

Possible Errors:

If you did not observe anything different than what happened with your control, the variable you changed may not affect the system you are investigating. If you did not observe a consistent, reproducible trend in your series of experimental runs there may be experimental errors affecting your results. The first thing to check is how you are making your measurements. Is the measurement method questionable or unreliable? Maybe you are reading a scale incorrectly, or maybe the measuring instrument is working erratically.

If you determine that experimental errors are influencing your results, carefully rethink the design of your experiments. Review each step of the procedure to find sources of potential errors. If possible, have a scientist review the procedure with you. Sometimes the designer of an experiment can miss the obvious.

References:

Your references are this website and the books that you will find in your local library about detergents. You can also include the websites of detergent manufacturers and some of the following:

http://www.epa.gov/grtlakes/seahome/housewaste/house/deterg.htm

http://www.sdahq.org/sdalatest/html/soapproducts1.htm

http://cecalaveras.ucdavis.edu/soaps.htm

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