Turn A Penny Green Chemical Reaction Science Experiment
In this fun and easy science experiment for kids, we’re going to turn a penny green by creating a chemical reaction with vinegar.
Materials:
- White vinegar
- Salt
- Five to ten copper pennies
- Paper towel
- Bowl or dish
Instructions:
- Fold the paper towel so it is several layers thick and will fit inside your bowl or dish.
- Place the pennies on the paper towel.
- Now, carefully pour the vinegar over the pennies and paper towel. You want to get the paper towel pretty well saturated but not flooded.
- Sprinkle salt over the pennies.
- Observe the pennies over the next few hours and write you observations down to keep track on any changes you may be seeing.
- Feel free to keep the experiment going for several days. All you need to do is add more vinegar on occasion if the paper towel dries out.
EXPLORE AWESOME SCIENCE EXPERIMENT VIDEOS!
How it Works:
The vinegar, which is an acid, will dissolve the copper oxide layer of the pennies. This will allow the copper to easily mix with oxygen in the air. The copper and oxygen, along with chlorine from the salt, will combine to create the blueish-green compound malachite.
Make This A Science Project:
Try different acids like lemon juice. Try different types of coins. Try other copper items like copper wire.
EXPLORE TONS OF FUN AND EASY SCIENCE EXPERIMENTS!
SUBSCRIBE AND NEVER MISS A NEW SCIENCE FUN VIDEO!