Butter Experiment In The Kitchen

Image(s): FreeDigitalPhotos.net

We are currently working on our sand unit study and continuing to have the best time ever. We did an experiment with butter to learn all about glass viscosity. Like glass butter is an example of a super cooled liquid (according to some scientists). Although it appears to be a solid butter hardness depends on its temperature. I got the idea for this experiment from this website. And of course we used our NEW science observation worksheet. You can get this worksheet too if you're a fan of my Facebook Page.

There is much debate about whether or not glass is a liquid or solid...read more here. So this made for a great experiment. The kids learned what the word viscosity means and what solids, liquids and gases are.

Questions (from website above) and Kids Answers:

1. Did you observe any relationship between the physical properties of the butter and the temperature at which it was maintained? Explain. Yes, hot melted the butter and turned it into liquid like water. Cold made the butter harder.
2. How is the viscosity of butter and glass similar? How is it different? When glass gets heated up it melts like the butter. When glass gets colder it hardens up. 
3. Predict how the shape of a windowpane might change over many years. Would this change be more dramatic in a hot climate or a cold climate? Explain. After observing an old window we have hanging on our wall the kids noticed that the glass appears to be running. So they decided that if the weather is hotter it may make it run more. We also discussed how this process would take a very, very, very long time.

We hope you enjoyed our science experiment.


Linking up with:
Adventurez In Child Rearing, Educating Laytons