Science Fenns K-5Grades K to 5
Two clear jars on a counter, one holding oil floating on water and one holding sand stirred into water.

Science / All lessons / Matter and Mixtures

Mixtures

Liquids in liquids. Solids in liquids.

Lesson 10 of 40

Try this first

Before we start

Today’s story

Mixtures

Hannah makes salad dressing in a jar. She pours in oil and vinegar and shakes it. For a minute it looks like one thing. Then the oil floats to the top again. She shakes it and it happens again.

A mixture is two or more kinds of matter put together that can still be pulled apart. Each part keeps its own properties. Some mixtures are liquids in liquids, like oil and vinegar. Some are solids in liquids, like sand in water.

In some mixtures the parts spread out and stay mixed. These are solutions. In others the parts stay separate or settle. Here are the steps.

See it

Five steps. Every time.

    Hands on

    Jar Mixtures

    25 minutes · Do this with a grown-up nearby

    You need

    • Four clear jars with lids
    • Water
    • Cooking oil
    • Sand
    • Salt
    • Soil
    • Spoon
    • Notebook

    Do this

    1. Fill each jar halfway with water.
    2. Add oil to jar one.
    3. Add sand to jar two.
    4. Add soil to jar three.
    5. Add salt to jar four.
    6. Close and shake each jar for ten seconds.
    7. Set them down and watch for five minutes.
    8. Draw what you see in each jar.
    Write or draw: A table with the mixture, what happens right after shaking, and what happens after five minutes.

    Watch for: Notice which jars separated and which stayed mixed. Notice if the water looked clear or cloudy.

    Safety: Do not drink or taste any mixture and wash hands after you finish.

    Same every time

    Three rules

    Rule 1Parts keep their properties.

    Sand is still sand in the water.

    Rule 2Watch for layers.

    Different densities settle differently.

    Rule 3Look for what stays mixed.

    That points to a solution.

    Grandpa Fenn’s notebook

    Say it like a scientist

    mixture
    Two or more kinds of matter mixed but not changed.
    solution
    A mixture where one thing spreads out evenly in another.
    layer
    A level of matter that settles on top of or below another.
    separate
    To pull the parts of a mixture apart.

    Poppy’s quiz

    Six questions

    Tap an answer. Green means right. You will see why.

    Talk about it

    Say it out loud

    • How do you know a mixture still has its original parts?
    • What mixtures do you see at home or in a pickup toolbox?
    Did you know

    Muddy water in a stock tank can clear up as the dirt settles to the bottom over time.

    Someone who does this

    A water treatment worker separates dirt and bits from water so it is safe to drink.

    BeforeDensity: Sink or FloatNext lessonSolutions