Two-Toned Floral Dyeing Delight!
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September 28, 2024 / DIY / STEM Activities / Amazing Anatomy Biology / Ages 3 - 5 / Bicolour Dyed Flower
Have you ever seen a bicolour flower? These flowers aren't very common in everyday life, but through this magical experiment, you can witness a ordinary white flower transform into an astonishing bicolour bloom! Let's explore the science behind it together.
- Age: 3-5
- Time: Less than 30 minutes
- Mess Level: Messy
Materials Needed:
- Scissors
- Two colours of food colouring
- White flower
- Water
- 2 cups
Step-by-Step Instructions:
- Use scissors to vertically split the stem of the white flower from the bottom, dividing it into two halves, but don't cut it completely through to maintain the flower's integrity. Ensure each half of the stem is long enough to be inserted into a cup.
- Pour an appropriate amount of water into each of the two cups and add different coloured food dyes. Stir well. Insert each half of the split flower stem into cups containing different coloured dyes, ensuring the stem can absorb enough coloured water.
- Place the flower in a warm, bright location and observe the change in petal colour. This process may take several hours to a day, depending on how quickly the flower absorbs water.
The Science Behind It:
Why do the petals change colour? Through this experiment, have you understood the water transport system in plants? In the experiment, the flower's stem is split in two and placed in water with different coloured dyes. Due to capillary action, the dye is absorbed along with the water into the petals, causing each half of the flower to display a different colour. Plants in nature use this same method to absorb and transport water and nutrients.
Try experimenting and observing with other colours or different types of flowers.
