Science Experiments
Fizzy Sherbet -
A Sweet Science
Lesson for Your Kids!

By Lindsay Small
Fizzy sherbet in a paper bag with a strawberry
lollipop was probably my favorite treat as a child, but I never knew
what was in the sherbet and why it sparkled and tingled on my tongue!
Try making some with your kids and enjoy a mini science lesson in the
process.
The basis of the sherbet is icing sugar
(confectioners’ sugar). 50g will make enough for about 6 children. For
that amount you will also need a scant teaspoon each of bicarbonate of
soda and citric acid. You can buy the latter, in the form of a white
powder, very cheaply in small quantities from your chemist or pharmacy.
Children will also enjoy having a lollipop or liquorice stick to dip
into the sherbet.
To recap, you will need:
50g icing sugar
Scant teaspoon bicarbonate of soda
Scant teaspoon citric acid
Lollipop or liquorice stick to dip
Simply mix all the powders together thoroughly,
divide into separate containers, and provide something to dip with.
Fingers will do at a pinch, but there will be a lot of stickiness
involved! Let the kids try dipping into some plain icing sugar as well
as the sherbet mixture, to compare the two. They will be amazed at the
difference.
So where does the fizz come from? It is a reaction
between the citric acid (the same acid as in lemons) and the bicarbonate
of soda, which is an alkali. In this case the chemical reaction happens
on your tongue, as the two dry ingredients mix with water (saliva) and
create a gas in the form of lots of tiny little bubbles. The bubbles
provide the tingle in your mouth.
You are creating the same chemical reaction when
you drop a bath bomb into your bath water. The active dry ingredients –
which again include bicarbonate of soda and citric acid – react when
they meet the water of the bath. And you get the same fizzing reaction
if you add vinegar, another acid, to bicarbonate of soda. In this case,
however, the reaction happens immediately because the vinegar is liquid.
Combining vinegar and bicarbonate of soda is actually an old-fashioned
cleaning recipe, used to help remove stubborn stains in the kitchen.
Perhaps your kids could try scrubbing the sink with the mixture and a
kitchen sponge to see how well it works!
Now, back to your
fizzy sherbet. Remember, to keep your sherbet for any length of time,
you will have to keep it dry. Store it in little re-sealable plastic
bags ready to dip, or in a plastic food container. Make sure the kids
don’t eat too much in one go, because it can make your mouth (and
stomach) a little sore in very large quantities! If you package little
bags of sherbet and lollipops together (perhaps adding a bright ribbon
and label) you can make a super addition for a party bag or even an
unusual and popular treat to sell at a school fete or other fundraising
occasion.

Lindsay Small is the creator and editor of
Activity Village.co.uk - providing the ultimate one-stop resource for
parents and teachers looking to educate and entertain their kids. Visit
the website at http://www.ActivityVillage.co.uk
or subscribe to the free newsletter at
http://www.ActivityVillage.co.uk/free_newsletter.co.uk
** Attention Newsletter Editors / Website Owners **
Please feel free to reprint this article in its entirety in
your newsletter or on your site, as long as you leave all
links in place, do not modify the content, and include our
resource box as above intact. If you do use the article,
please send us an email so we can take a look. Thank you.
Back to Parenting
Back to Science for Kids
|