pennies cleaning science experiment conclusion pennies cleaning science experiment conclusion

Was 1 minute or 5 minutes more effective in cleaning the pennies overall? Reviewed & Fact Checked byRebecca Carlock. This outlines all of the steps of scientific investigation. Copper oxide is the dull dark color that covers old coins the older a copper coin is, the more copper oxide it has coating its surface. You should have observed that each cleaning method made the pennies cleaner, but some methods may have been more successful than others. Pop another coin in both the ketchup and vinegar and salt mixture. While the coins are submerged in the cups, lay out some paper towels or kitchen paper and label each towel so you know which coin is going where. When we clean copper pennies this way, we arent just rubbing dirt off of them. The child should be prepared to discuss why they think some solutions were more effective than others. TOTAL PAGES AVAILABLE FOR, 10-IN-1 BUNDLE (Set 1 of 5) - Grades 4,5,6, What is in this '10-IN-1 BUNDLE'? So 1st cup will have catsup, 2nd will have coke, and so on. For this experiment, you will need dirty pennies, paper towels, 1/4 cup of white vinegar, a tsp. Dry the pennies with a paper towel. Afterwards, put one old coin in each cup. See a penny pick it up, all day long youll have good luck! maybe youve heard this phrase before, and maybe youve even stopped to pick up a lucky penny off the sidewalk. 2023 LoveToKnow Media. Post your question for our scientists. You explained the science behind it perfectly. Curious about the science? The 25 Best Wooden Puzzles for Toddlers (Teacher Approved! Conclusion: The hypothesis was proven true, and the pennies, were best cleaned by the strongest acid, which in this experiment was lemon juice. How to Create an Escape Room for Teaching, 50 Homeschool Science Experiments (that cost next to nothing) | Free Homeschool Deals . Privacy. Copyright 2002-2023 Science Buddies. The acids (usually vinegar - acetic acid) break the copper oxide free from the penny. This product is designed to teach people how to clean old, tarnished, using simple household items such as vinegar and salt. You simply add salt to vinegar and you end up making an even more acidic concoction? Salt is another compound called sodium chloride, so it contains a chemical called chlorine (like what we use in swimming pools to keep them clean). Medioimages/Photodisc/Photodisc/Getty Images. I use this specifically to teach them the. For any other use, please contact Science Buddies. Wipe the penny off with a paper towel and rinse off. are shinier than others, learn the meaning of a hypothesis by watching a video (link to website), make a hypothesis, graph their hypothesis, are dull and how they become shiny. So we did a little experiment to see what would actually happen. Please enter a search term in the text box. 4. However, over time, they turn dull and dark. That is why old coins look, well, old and new coins are bright and shiny. The vinegar cleans the penny due to the acid in the vinegar. This is a pretty safe experiment. Adding salt to any of the acids (lemon juice, vinegar, etc) makes this acid cleaning more effective by creating free hydrogen atoms in the solution, which increases the acid's strength. Ketchup and oranges have a high acid content as dovinegar and lemons. Thanks a lot Meriley. Place the penny (tails side up) on a flat surface. For this experiment, you will need dirty pennies, paper towels, 1/4 cup of white vinegar, a tsp. Why do pennies get dark and dingy? Hi, my name is Elena Jones, and my full-time job is a teacher. It is a step-by-step, that the students can perform on their own. Just don't drink the coke afterward. Most of these aren't substances that are typically used to clean, which is part of makes guessing how they will affect the pennies more fun. This activity helps students to see and experience the properties of water- including Adhesion, Cohesion, and Surface Tension. Whats in the Bag?Making MusicMouse Paint (, gel frosting)Rain PaintSecret MessagesDucks Like RainFloat or Sink PumpkinsDo Seeds Travel?VolcanoesThe Windy DayDo Whales Get Cold?Candle RacesWh, Rated 4.92 out of 5, based on 838 reviews, . How do they feel? Record this number on your data table under trial 1. Its not just dependent on how old the pennies are. more information Accept. Wait about 5 minutes, then remove the pennies from the solution. Plus, theyll learn some cool facts about metals, the pH scale, and the Statue of Liberty. Not only will you be improving them as an individual, you will also be strengthening the bond you share together. The acid in vinegar, like in citrus, is what really takes the tarnish away. You also may have noticed that the longer the pennies stayed in the cleaning solution, the cleaner they became! Get your copper coins out of the containers where theyve been hiding for many years and get them cleaned. This bluish-green color is called Malachite. The reason for this is that copper has quite the relationship with Oxygenthat isthey react to each other. Science - Lesson 4 of 50 - Grades 4,5,6 Note: Some of the links on this page are affiliate links. The kids had a lot of fun and the sorting sheet helped keep the organized and on track. Deidre is an avid writer with a Bachelor of Arts in Literature. Step 3: Dump all the pennies into the liquid. Lesson Cover: 1 colour page Cover the pennies with each of the mixtures, smear them around with your fingers, and give the ingredients at least 2 minutes to react. . Ketchup. When oxygen binds with copper, they form a new molecule known as copper oxide. The acid in ketchup is acetic acid, commonly known as vinegar. This is a weak acid, which is good since we ingest it. Children often think the soapy water will work best as it is normally used for cleaning, but children who understand what acids are or who know a little about chemistry may have a better idea about what will work. Rocking Chair, Glider, or Recliner for the Nursery: Is It Worth It? If you are doing this with older children who can write you can have them write out a grid for penny comparison. Now check out your pennies. I know I was. it does not say the date and author on the website! Science - Lesson 6 of 50 - Grades 4,5,6, my middle school special education classroom. Want to wow your kids with some simple kitchen science? Continue to place each penny in the 5 minutes column in its corresponding cup. Pour enough of each solution into its corresponding dish to cover the pennies (it doesn't take much). Seven Layer Density Column Science Experiment, Exploding Popsicle Stick Bomb Tutorial An Energy Experiment For Kids. Rank your solutions from which cleaned the penny the best, to which cleaned it the worst. After 10 minutes, take the coins out of the cups and lay them out on some kitchen paper but do not dry them! I LOVE teaching! Have your kids write down their findings on their piece of paper ready to summarize their findings and talk through the explanation. Next, drop in a dirty penny and stir. ', ' link: And because this mixture is way up high in the acidic scale, it cleaned the coin so much better and quicker than just vinegar. Your email address will not be published. Student Write-Up Template and Question Sheet: 5 colour pages Once 5 minutes has passed, rinse each cup with water until the inside of the cup and the pennies are clean (be careful not to lose your penny!). Cleaning Pennies Science Experiment for Kids. Therefore, acids are the best kind of liquid to use to clean coins as it easily dissolves the copper oxide that coats old coins and makes them look new and shiny again. Im not talking about the literal dirt that ends up collecting on them Im talking about the residue that is still present even if you rinse your pennies off with water. Here are the scientific method steps and some sample questions to help you work through it. For example, ask them if they know you can clean pennies, why you should clean pennies, and what would be the best thing to use to clean pennies? Could you have cleaner pennies if you just used running water? Kids will love Groovy Lab in a Box because it contains everything they need to do experiments focused on science, technology, engineering and math (STEM). They can also consider which might clean the pennies fastest. Different brands of Ketchup and Tabasco or hot sauce will have different amounts of salt and acid in their ingredients, so your results may be different than someone else doing this activity at their house. My kids had fun doing this, raiding their piggy banks to find some dirty pennies. About half way filled is fine. And see whats the sciencebehind this phenomena. This is your control. The statue ismade of copper and it has turned bluish-green because of this copper-oxygen-chlorine reaction. Continue observations. 1. Place a penny in it and cover the penny with ketchup. In fact, new pennies are so pretty that its considered a compliment to say that something is as shiny as a new penny. Citric acid works similarly to the other acids. Well, its time to look at what is in our catsup! Kindergarten Math Practice with the Zap Zap Math App, Falling Unexpectedly in Love With Homeschooling My Gifted Child, Disclosure Policy & Copyright Information. This is what the pennies look like sitting at the bottom of the glass. Just put the coins on the tea towel and leave it to air dry. i thought that this was very helpful all five of my kids did this and they got an A so yea, gunna use this for my science project at school:D, well i think this experiment was welled organized but it could have showed more steps in the process of how they started from beginning to end also it could have said how long did it sit in the liquid, did they whip it off or not, showed what color was the coin at first etc, This is a great experiment im in 7th grade my science teacher was shocked. But sometimes those pennies you see on the ground look anything but lucky. After cups are put away, remove goggles. PRINT AND GO STEM BUNDLE. Leave the coins in the liquid for 10 minutes. we do during the week of Presidents' Day or when we are talking about coins in Math. You dont have to do the 2nd one, but its also a good scientific experiment and youll even find out why the Statue of Liberty is the color that it is. Chemical reactions, acidity, copper oxidation. To begin, the experimenter and supervising adult should plan out which solutions they have access to and can use to test their penny-cleaning capabilities. Teacher Notes: Regarding, : 1 colour page The vinegar + salt mixture and the ketchup will have come out as the clear winners. A variety of products can be used to keep your pennies looking shiny and new. Pennies are obviously made of copper, and they start out bright and shiny when they are new. What do you see? To begin with, you'll want to find a handful of dirty pennies. Stir until the salt dissolves. What will happen when the liquid cleans the coin? Stir until the salt dissolves. And see whats the sciencebehind this phenomena. Leave the coins to air dry for at least 30 minutes. If you took a picture in Step 1, go back and compare each pennys cleanliness before and after being cleaned. Required fields are marked *. What is the optimal time to leave the pennies in the cleaning solution? Which one do they think will clean the coin the most? While copper is a beautiful metal, it is also reactive. A chemical reaction between the vinegar and the salt removes copper oxide. Each step is clearly outlined and explained. Recently, we did thisCleaning Pennies Experimentand the results were surprising to my kids. of salt and a bowl, preferably metal. document.getElementById( "ak_js_1" ).setAttribute( "value", ( new Date() ).getTime() ); This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Create a solution of vinegar and salt using one teaspoon of salt and 1/4 of a cup of vinegar. These boxes are presented in partnership with Popular Mechanics so you know you'll be getting some great stuff each month. As in ketchup, salt and vinegar . The step-by-step instructions included in this digital product are easy to follow and are accompanied by colorful illustrations that make the . In each case, make sure the penny is completely covered by the contents of the cup. Therefore, each cleaning method you tested contained acid and salt, but the Ketchup and Tabasco sauce may have had a slightly weaker acid. Which one is still the dirtiest? However, that uniquely, How to Clean Nike Air Force 1s so They're Good as New. Extra: Test whether these cleaning solutions work on other types of coins. Smell), Science Fair Project For Kids: Demonstrating How Plants Help Stop Soil Erosion, 10 Great Inventors Books To Inspire Young Children, DIY Bath Bomb for Kids Fun Science Experiments For Kids, Best Books To Get Your Kids to Fall in Love With Math Teach Approved, 5 old copper pennies (these coins need to be copper for this experiment to work), 5 strips of paper (for labelling each penny), A pen and paper for jotting down the results, 5 different liquids to use to clean your pennies. Once all the pennies are in the correct cup, use the remaining time to observe the pennies, and the contents of the cup. Aplus Education Ltd with Vaughan M Blaney, Students love to collect and bring in a dirty, it and why using the scientific method! Kids will love trying their hand at the classic cleaning pennies science experiment to see if theycan use a chemical reaction to make pennies shine brightly once again. If you line up your pennies in order from the dirtiest to the cleanest, the order should go something like this: Water, Soda/Fruit Juice, Vinegar, Ketchup, and Vinegar and salt mixture. Remove pennies and place them on a paper towel to dry. Thanks for the rare idea to wash penny. Repeat steps 2-8 with the pennies in your 5 minutes column. 2 teaspoons salt. The pennies will be cleaner and brighter than before. Gather up a few dirty pennies. All you need for this science experiment are vinegar, salt, a glass jar, and dirty pennies.1. We are actually performing a chemical reaction that breaks down the copper oxide. We are going to put the coins into different liquids, which of these liquids do you think will clean them? Plus, there is another great reason to try this science experiment out youll be spending some quality time with your kids. After 10 minutes, take the coins out; but this time, dont wipe the coins clean. Place your 'Control, 1 minutes' penny into the 'Control 1' cup. How To Be On Time with Kids, Keep the Crib: How To Keep Your Toddler From Escaping, STEM Activities for Preschoolers and Toddlers, Simple Sensory Activities for Toddlers and Preschoolers, Toddler Learning Activities: Easy and Fun Educational Games for Toddlers, Process Art Activities for Kids (And Why Process Art Is So Important), Valentines Day STEM and Learning Activities, St. Patricks Day STEM and Learning Activities, Breastfeeding Twins: Your Ultimate Resource Guide, Cleaning Pennies with Ketchup: The Activity, Cleaning Pennies with Ketchup: The Science, Cleaning Pennies with Ketchup: The Scientific Method, cleaning pennies with ketchup explanation, easy and fun science experiments for kids, easy and fun science experiments for preschoolers, simple science experiments for preschoolers, Rising Water Experiment - Magic Water Science Experiment, Easy Weather Science Experiments for Preschoolers and Toddlers, Redshirting Kindergarten: Why We are Waiting Until 6 To Start. Hi, I'm Kim! Pennies rust overtime. Once all of the pennies have been rinsed, use your fingers to gently scrub the pennies one at a time with your baking soda paste (keep your gloves on for this part!). Washing the pennies in a vinegar and salt solution removes the patina from the pennies, exposing the brighter copper underneath once more. We had a blast, a physical example of chemical weathering, by looking at how the soda coke (or a generic version), . 1/2 cup vinegar. You are going to challenge your children to clean pennies with various kitchen condiments. The reason why ketchup is such a good coin cleaner is because it is made from tomatoes, and tomatoes are an acidic vegetable (yes, tomatoes are a vegetable). Explore this article things needed 1 Preparation 2 Collect pennies of varying color Collect pennies of varying color. Vinegar and lemon juice are both acids. Great for President's Day! Keep the pennies in the cup. After the 10 minutes have passed, use the tweezers to take the coins out of each cup. When 1 minute has passed, rinse each cup with water until the inside of the cup and the pennies are clean (be careful not to lose your penny!). Kids are given some background on chemical reactions and oxidation. Now when you dipped it into the salt + vinegar solution and then air-dried it, it also took with it some chlorine which is often found in salt. 'Balloon Powered Rocket. Copper oxide dissolves in a mixture of weak acid and table salt. Can you think of other safe household acids you could test? follow up activities, 10 graphing activities for graphing the hypothesis. Slowly add water, 1 tablespoon at time, until youve created a paste. First, put the coins back into the same mixture as the one you used in the first experiment. What do your results tell you about the special properties of copper pennies? The pennies will be cleaner and brighter than before. Students will create a booklet or for a quicker project, just print the worksheet. Book a Science PartyHave the Science Guy visit your school! Begin your control experiment. It is a great sensory STEM activity for preschoolers and older children. All you'll need is soda, a cup, pennies and some time. TEN Quick and Easy Science Experiments for Kids! As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases. After all the pennies have soaked for about five minutes, it is time to pull them out. The chlorine ions bond with the copper in solution forming some sort of copper chloride, allowing the acid to break more of the copper oxide free from the penny. 'Balloon Powered Rocket, that looks at what house hold solutions will be best to. Hot Sauce Hot sauce, like Tabasco or taco sauce, also will remove the oxides off pennies. Stir in about one teaspoon of salt and mix until it dissolves. Can you think of why time would be important? 1. Lab, Students of all ages have fun doing this easy, ! In the second cup, put water mixed with dish soap. This is also why the salt and vinegar mixture was a better coin cleaner than just vinegar alone. Mix one tablespoon of salt with half a cup of vinegar in a small container and stir until the salt dissolves. Im going to use this for my science project at school but im going to do it for more then 10 minutes. Start with the cups labeled 1. Add the pennies. 2. Science - Lesson 3 of 50 - Grades 4,5,6 Wear safety goggles to avoid splash danger. Students will create a booklet or for a quicker project, just print the worksheet. But somewhere along the way, those pennies lose their luster. 2023 Leaf Group Ltd. / Leaf Group Media, All Rights Reserved. You dont have to stop after doing this once. This means you will only have two cups to work with. This will be where you place your coins for comparison. First, prepare all your cups and line them up on a counter. Begin by pouring the vinegar into the bowl. Step 1 Fill a glass cup with vinegar and pour it in a non-metallic bowl. Remember to be sensible and dont let them near any dangerous liquids like petroleum or bleach kids may come up with a few silly answers for fun, but as the adult, you need to draw the line at what is fun and what could be potentially dangers. Water. Add the salt, and stir until the salt is completely dissolved. Phosphoric acid breaks down the copper oxygen compound and causes a new layer of the copper to be exposed. For a complete clean, flip the pennies over and repeat the process on the other side. What do your results tell you about the special properties of copper pennies? If you have dirty, dull, or green pennies lying around, try the cleaning pennies science experiment to turn them bright again! Once there's a working hypothesis, the experiment itself can begin. Educational Toys And Child Development Research Studies. How do they smell? Toasted Italian Sandwich - Food Fun Friday. Can you clearly see Abraham Lincoln? But heres the question that Im sure is brewing in your mind. Thanks for sharing! Tomatoes contain naturally occurring citric acid, another acid that is generally slightly weaker than vinegar or lemon juice. Wait about 5 minutes, then remove the pennies from the solution. It utilizes a lot of stuff you already have lying around your house, and does not require you to go out and buy a lot of fancy science gadgets. You need just a few things for this experiment: Create a solution of vinegar and salt using one teaspoon of salt and 1/4 of a cup of vinegar. The negatively charged oxygen atoms in our air are attracted to the positively charged copper atoms in the penny. This post contains affiliate links. She is an accomplished screenwriter, teacher and blogger. Which solution will clean copper pennies the best, soap and water, Lemon Juice , vinegar and salt, coca cola, or ketchup? chemistry, kitchen science experiments, coin experiments. 2 or More Additional Solutions. And the best example of this reaction is the Statue of Liberty. In the first cup, put plain water. After that you won't see anything happen. You can actually do lots of simple science experiments at home with just a few basic supplies. Water is the worst because it is a neutral liquid, meaning that it sits smack in the middle of the pH scale. Most of these aren't substances that are typically used to clean, which is part of makes guessing how they will affect the pennies more fun. Mix until the salt is dissolved (it helps if the vinegar is a little warm). MAKE IT AN EXPERIMENT. (You may need to push the one in the catsup to get it fully submerged). The project above is a DEMONSTRATION. of salt and a bowl, preferably metal. Label this column "Cleaning Method." The next column, label "1 Minute." And label the third column "5 Minutes." Make each cell (square) of the table large enough to place your penny in it after. Wipe the coins dry with their paper towels and compare them. The pennies get shiny because the copper oxide is being stripped off by a reaction, which results in increasing levels of copper in the liquid. All with pocket change actually. If you continue to use this website without changing your cookie settings or you click "Accept" below then you are consenting to this. Kids are naturally curious, and as their parent or guardian, you will want to encourage that as they grow older. Whether you've got toddlers or grandparents to entertain, family nights are the p, Antique Christmas Houses for a Victorian Village Display, From sitting on brick firework mantles to placed underneath genuine fir Christmas trees, people have been displaying their ceramic or plastic holiday town scenes for decades. Conclusions - Cleaning Pennies Cleaning Pennies Home The project that I made, consisted in cleaning up old and dirty pennies. that is nice sure for kids. Repeat the process until the penny reaches the desired shininess. You can only guess how highly acidic this ketchup must be! Gently swirl the cup so that the penny is completely covered with Ketchup. Make this your own and let your kids explore. It also benefits your kid in a lot of ways too. 'Balloon Powered Rocket, ' link: Put 1 tablespoon Ketchup into each Ketchup cup. What is the optimal time to leave the pennies in the cleaning solution? Before you start, its important to take note that for this cleaning coins experiment to work, you need coins made of copper; otherwise, this will not work. Trust me on this. - Lesson 5 of 50 - Grades 4,5,6 Here is a video of when we did the first stage of this experiment which we put up on our GallyKids Youtube Channel. Pennies are good for more than just buying penny candy. As we have seen experimentally, acid alone does not clean as well as acid and salt. Well keep that in mind. Learn how your comment data is processed. We laid our pennies out to look at them and were surprised with the results. Wait for about 5-10 minutes. If you're cleaning metals like copper or brass with lemon juice over the long term, this can react with the metals and can cause corrosion, damaging the metal. If you are looking for an easy way to engage your kids with science, then why dont you try out the classic cleaning coins experiment? Cleaning Pennies Home Experiment Conclusions Annex Analysis This graph interprets the results of the experiment. Make each cell (square) of the table large enough to place your penny in it after your testing is complete. Coke contains phosphoric acid that cleans the oxides. You can find this page online at: https://www.sciencebuddies.org/stem-activities/shine-bright-like-apenny. 'Balloon Powered Rocket, - Lesson 2 of 50 - Grades 4,5,6 The unlikely condiment you need to be sure to include? Check the coins, then come back again in another 30 minutes and see what has happened to the coins. This spectacular 5-IN-1 BUNDLE: (Presidents' Day) Once the budding scientist has a pile of pennies, he or she should choose and collect their selection of cleaning solutions. The soda cleans the pennies because it contains phosphoric acid. Pour a small amount of each solution you chose into a cup. Update Includes Google Slides version for distance learning science experime Subjects: Place the pennies in the bowl, and allow them to sit for several minutes. Write the name of each liquid on a strip of paper and put one strip beside the cup to mark it. They look brown or black, and sometimes theyre so dirty looking that you cant even tell whether theyre pennies! After 10 minutes, use your tweezers to take the coins out of each cup. When the vinegar cleaned the coin, it stripped away the coating and exposed the copper. What do they look like? Vinegar (or Lemon Juice) and Salt This method is the best way to clean your pennies, and it will produce a very bright orangey-copper color on your pennies. I used this experiment for my science class and my teacher was super impressed. Quizzes with auto-grading, and real-time student data. method. Just click on the image to find more science fun. Oranges? It turns out that when you mix vinegar and salt, a chemical reaction takes place and form what is called hydrochloric acid. You should have at least five different liquids ready to pour into each individual cup, but you can always add some more for fun. Always happy to help! This packet includes a direction list/timeline for the teacher, class observation form, 2 different CER responses (one, and one without a graphic organizer) AND an opportunity for students to graph and a, , and Which Type of Water Works Best? So, the results of your kids coin cleaning experiment should be that the ketchup and the vinegar and salt mixture were the best coin cleaners. Try more solutions. Its that dull dark. Put 1 tablespoon of Vinegar and 1 teaspoon of salt into each Vinegar cup. by Brenda Priddy | Jul 12, 2017 | Homeschool |. Finally, wipe the coins dry with a tea towel or kitchen paper. Penny lab experiment conclusion.By comparison, the old pre-1982 copper pennies were 95% copper and 5% zinc with a density of 8. Take a few minutes to examine your chosen solutions. Drop eight to ten of the dirty pennies into the solution. This looks like a great activity to do with my kiddos! Luckily, there are a number of ways to clean pennies and make them look bright and shiny again, using chemistry! When the oxygen and the copper on the coins' outsides interact, a substance called copper oxide is formed. I'm so happy you're here!! Its exactly the same reaction thats happening to the dearly beloved Statue of Liberty! Repeat the experiment with the same pennies in a new solution of vinegar and salt and see if you can make them even brighter! Try leaving the pennies in the solutions for different lengths of time. Remove the pennies and rinse them with water. ), 2 tablespoons freshly squeezed Lemon Juice, 2 tablespoons Tabasco Sauce (or other hot sauce), 11 plastic cups (small Tupperware containers or bowls will work as well). Which is the least clean? Teacher Notes: Photos and Youtube Video: 1 colour page The following titles name the 20, /activities.Shake It! If you enjoyed this cleaning pennies experiment, you'll love: Wow! Place the pennies in the bowl, and allow them to sit for several minutes. (we used our hands very messy business especially with the catsup but the kids thought that was fun!) Science isnt a one and done thing. The salt in the ketchup adds dissolved chloride ions that bond with the copper to form copper chloride, which allows the acid to break up even more copper oxide. Hypothesis: If I use 4 different products to clean pennies, adding each product to the a plastic dish (not mixing together), I predict that out of the 4 products, ketchup, fabuloso, coke, and lemon juice that lemon juice will clean a penny the best. (Or have a fun science fair project?) Leave them there for 10 minutes while you and your kids talk about the results of the first experiment. Hi! 9 Easy Grill Cleaning Tips to Keep Mealtime Fresh, At least two of the solutions from the above list, One penny for each solution plus one extra, One small dish or cup for each solution (plastic or paper cups with a couple inches off the top cut off will work if there aren't drinking glasses to spare).