VSF 2020 

Title: Density ‘’Sweet Floats’’ 

Introduction and background: In this experiment, it is easy to see that as the liquids became sweeter, they also became denser. A less dense solution will float on top of one that is more 
dense, so your sugar solutions made sweet layers.  
Hypothesis: Density = mass / volume. If the weight of something increases but the volume stays the same, then density goes up. Likewise, if the mass decreases but the volume stays 
the same, then density goes down. 
Methodology:  
1. Measure 1 tsp (5mL) sugar into a glass. In the next glass, measure 2 tsp (10mL) sugar. In the next glass, measure 4 tsp (20mL) sugar. In the next glass, measure 6 tsp (30mL) 
sugar. 
2. Add 1 Tbsp (15mL) of warm water to each glass. Use a spoon to stir each glass until all the sugar is dissolved. 
3. Use food coloring to color the first glass red, the second glass yellow, the third glass blue, and the fourth glass purple. 
4. Allow the liquids to cool. You can place the liquids in the fridge for 10 minutes. 
5. Pour 15mL of the purple sugared water into the bottom of the cylinder. 
6. Use the pipette to slowly layer the blue sugar water over the purple water. Layer the yellow over the blue water, then the red over the yellow water. 
Results: The purple sugared (30mL) water will be at the bottom of the cylinder, followed in sequence upwards by the blue sugared (20mL) water, then the yellow sugared (10mL) water 
and finally the red sugared (5mL) water. 
Conclusions and evaluation: The densest solution, in this case the purple sugared water will end up at the bottom of the cylinder and the less dense solution in this case the red sugared 
water will be at the top of the cylinder.