Dirty Pennies Kitchen Science Experiment
In this fun and easy kitchen science experiment for kids, we’re going to use a chemical reaction to clean pennies.
Materials:
- Dirty pennies
- Glass
- Vinegar
- Salt
- Measuring spoons
- Paper towels
Instructions:
- Fill the glass about halfway full with vinegar.
- Stir in about one teaspoon of salt and mix until it dissolves.
- Drop eight to ten of the dirty pennies into the solution.
- After several minutes, remove half of the pennies and place them on a paper towel to dry.
- Now remove the remaining pennies. Do not these pennies and place them on a separate paper towel to dry.
- Observe the difference between the two groups of pennies.
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How it Works:
The vinegar is an acid and reacts with the salt to remove the copper oxide from the pennies. This will make the pennies look shiny as the copper oxide is what gives the pennies a dirty and tarnished look. The copper oxide comes from the pennies reacting with the oxygen in the air. The vinegar on the second batch of remaining pennies will help them form malachite which will turn the pennies bluish-green.
Make This A Science Project:
Before disposing of your vinegar, add other metal object like washers, nails, or bolts and observe what happens. Try other types of acid like lemon juice. Try adding more salt.
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