Exciting Science and Dancing Raisins

This science experiment was a hit in my class!

I brought a can of Mountain Dew and some raisins to class. I poured the Mountain Dew into a clear glass and then, as a class, we made observations about the ingredients of the science experiment. Then, I told the class I was going to drop the raisins into the Mountain Dew, and I asked them what they thought would happen. We listed their predictions on the board, including that "the liquid would change colors," and the raisins would disintegrate. Their predictions were pretty creative.

All of my students were on pins and needles as I dropped the raisins into the glass. I thought what happened was pretty cool, myself. The raisins sank to the bottom of the glass, stayed there for a few seconds, and then floated back to the top!

Here's what happens. The gas bubbles in the soda attach to the raisins and cause them to float to the top. When the raisins reach the top of the soda, the bubbles pop, and the raisins sink to the bottom again, until more bubbles attach. The raisins start dancing!

Try it! Your kids will love it!