Sweetheart Science Experiment - Dissolving Hearts

Are you looking for something unique and engaging to do with your students around Valentine's Day this year? Paper crafts and passing Valentines are likely going to be part of your classroom festivities, but why not add a fun science experiment to your learning environment? Check out this simple, creative activity you can do with your students, using candy hearts and several kinds of liquids. Your students will be observing how the candy hearts dissolve in four types of household liquids.

For this science experiment you will need:

• candy hearts
• water
• vegetable oil
• vinegar
• lemon juice
• four see-through vessels, such as glasses, jars, or plastic bottles
• plastic spoon
• timer

Follow these easy steps to guide your students through this sweet science experiment:

1. Set up four glasses side-by-side and fill each glass with one liquid, making sure the amounts of liquid are equal in all the glasses. Provide your students with a small handful of candy hearts, either in a paper plate or some other container to keep them in one place.

2. Ask your students to make predictions about what they think will happen to the candy hearts in each liquid. In which glass of liquid will the candies dissolve the most? They can write these predictions in a notebook or on a sheet of paper to turn in at the end of the activity.

3. Determine how many candy hearts your students will drop in each glass. Whether it's one candy, three candies, or five candies, just make sure that each glass will have the same number of candies.

4. Set a timer (on your phone, perhaps) as the students drop the candy hearts into each glass. Instruct them to write down their observations about what is happening in each glass. Your students can use a plastic spoon to check the hardness of the candies at five-interval marks, such as after five, ten, and fifteen minutes.

5. After you have reached the designated amount of time you set for the experiment, instruct the students to carefully remove the candies from the glasses with the help of a popsicle stick, being careful not to confuse which candy belonged in each glass. Ask your students to write down their observations about the size and hardness of the candies from each glass. How close were they to their predictions? Did they observe any surprises? Discuss these findings as a class, and brainstorm ideas of different candies or liquids you could use in a future experiment.

This Valentine's-themed science experiment is so simple, and we know you and your students are going to love it! Engaging your class in a holiday-themed science activity is a great way to add some new flavor to the sweet traditions of Valentine's Day. We hope you and your students are ready to make some sweet memories this February!

Do you like this activity? Share your feedback in the comments section below!