Remember the dancing raisins commercial on TV? No? Well it doesn't matter anyway,
they have absolutely nothing whatsoever to do with this experiment. Now, let's make
some raisins boogie!
- Fill a glass or bottle half full of carbonated water.
- Drop three or four raisins into the carbonated water.
- Wait around for the show to begin...
What happens? Can you guess why the raisins bob to the surface? Carbonated water
contains dissolved carbon dioxide gas. This gas will collect on the uneven surfaces
on the raisins. When enough gas has collected, it will actually lift the raisins
to the surface (kind of like little tiny parachutes) where the gas is then released
into the air. With the gas now gone, the raisins will sink back to the bottom where
the process begins anew.
Parent's Note. Carbonated water is produced by adding carbon dioxide
gas to water under pressure. The gas makes the water bubble and fizz.