Kool-Aid Solution Activity

Teacher Notes

Students will be carrying water around the room. Expect some spills and be prepared for students to clean them up by having paper or cloth towels on hand.
Explain the dissolving process to the students as they are mixing Kool-Aid with the water. Emphasize that the Kool-Aid is not disappearing, but dissolving into the water. We can see that it is still present since the water is now colored from the Kool-Aid powder.
Explain how the Kool-Aid is diffused. The Kool-Aid solution will become consistently colored until the solution is the same color throughout (equally distributing the Kool-Aid throughout the solution). This is a visual example of diffusion.
Decide if you are going to allow students to taste Kool-Aid when they are finished. Were all cups and tools clean before they were used? If you allow this, have additional cups on hand for each student. Be sure to explain to students that they would not normally drink anything they use in science class.

Materials Suggestions

Provide the following materials for each pair or small group of students.

Large container to hold water: Quart deli containers work well for this.
Three cups: Clear plastic cups allow students to make better observations about what is occurring in the cup.
Water: Each group will need three cups of water. Suggest having a measuring cup on hand.
Kool-Aid powder: Each group will need about 3-5 tablespoons of Kool-Aid powder. Red flavors work well for this. Consider having this measured into cups for students to save time.
Post-it notes or paper to label cups
Measuring cup
Two spoons, one spoon for measuring and one for stirring: Regular or disposable teaspoons work well.

Directions

Obtain all materials. Kool-Aid should be placed in one of the cups. Water should be placed in large container.
Label empty cups Solution 1, Solution 2 and Solution 3.
Measure one cup of water into each empty cup.
Measure one heaping teaspoon of Kool-Aid powder into cup for Solution 1. Stir with spoon to dissolve. Observe and record observations.
Measure three heaping teaspoons of Kool-Aid powder into cup for Solution 2. Stir with spoon to dissolve. Observe and record observations.
Measure five heaping teaspoons of Kool-Aid powder into cup for Solution 3. Stir with spoon to dissolve. Observe and record observations.
Compare the three solutions. Record your observations for each.

Observations

Read student observations. They should see the powder dissolving into the water.

Solute - Kool-Aid Solvent - Water

Did you observe diffusion? If yes, in which solutions? Explain.

Yes, diffusion is taking place in all solutions. After all the powder has dissolved, the solution becomes the same color throughout. This means the powder has been spread out evenly to all areas of the solution.

Kool-Aid Solution Activity

Learning Objectives

I can demonstrate the conservation of mass.
I can dissolve a solid in a liquid.
I can demonstrate diffusion.

Materials

Provide the following materials for each pair or small group of students.

Large container to hold water
Three cups
Water
Kool-Aid powder
Post-it notes or paper to label cups
Measuring cup
Two spoons, one spoon for measuring, one for stirring

DIrections

Obtain all materials. Kool-Aid should be placed in one of the cups. Water should be placed in large container.
Label empty cups Solution 1, Solution 2 and Solution 3.
Measure one cup of water into each empty cup.
Measure one heaping teaspoon of Kool-Aid powder into cup for Solution 1. Stir with spoon to dissolve. Observe and record observations.
Measure three heaping teaspoons of Kool-Aid powder into cup for Solution 2. Stir with spoon to dissolve. Observe and record observations.
Measure five heaping teaspoons of Kool-Aid powder into cup for Solution 3. Stir with spoon to dissolve. Observe and record observations.
Compare the three solutions. Record your observations for each.

Kool-Aid Solution Materials ^[1]