M&M’s – What is the first picture that comes to your mind ? A bunch of “colorful small button shaped chocolates” with the letter ‘m’ printed on them. I bet “Yes”. Have you ever wondered what is that letter ‘m’ made of ?How does it get on them and stay put ? Can you even separate the letter ‘m’ from the M&M’s ? Is it some kind of candy science ? Let’s figure it out rather than gobbling them !
What you need
- A bag of M&M candies
- Clear glass bowl
- Warm water
What to do
Place the M&M candy in the glass bowl with the letter side up. Pour in the warm water gently. After few minutes, the colored dyes of the candies will color the water.
Wait another 5-10 minutes, and you should see the letter ‘m’ floating to the top of the bowl. In case, you don’t see the letters floating to the top, very gently shake the bowl for a second. It should cause the the letter ‘m’ to start floating.
So, why the letters on the M&M’s didn’t dissolve ? Those tiny letters on the M&M candy are made of edible ink which does not dissolve in water. They are adhered to the candy with an edible glue that dissolves in warm water. Since the letters are less dense than water, the letters peel off and rise to the top as the rest of the candy shell dissolves.
How about using different candies like Skittles to see if you can separate the letter ‘s’ printed on them !
And I sincerely hope, while doing these candy experiments with your kids, you won’t get sidetracked, like me, from any of your New Year resolution to “Eat Healthy”. Well, one or two candies doesn’t harm. Isn’t it ?
in case you are looking for one, here are some candy science experiment kits or books for your kids
Happy New Year my Dear Readers !
While you are here, check out these science experiments which might interest you.
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