Example Lab Report for
Milk, food coloring and Soap Experiment
How will soap change the colors of food coloring in milk? Write your hypothesis
before you test it.
You will need: A flat tray (like a cookie baking tray), Food coloring (at least 3 different
colors), Whole milk - low fat milk will not work for this experiment, Liquid soap used
for washing dishes.
Carefully pour the milk into the tray so that it just covers the bottom. Add about 6-8
drops of different colored food coloring onto the milk in different spots. Add about 5
drops of the liquid soap onto the drops of food coloring and watch the show!
Analysis: Why do you think this happened? What is special about soap and milk
that created this effect?
Go to http://www.sciencebob.com/experiments/colorsymphony.php for more info
Making a Rainbow with Soap and Milk Per
2
Purpose: to observe the effects of soap on fats
(whole milk)
Title (should describe the experiment in two-
three words), Your Name, Period
Hypothesis: I think that when I add the soap the
colors will get lighter, because the soap will
Purpose: summarize why you did the lab,
what were you learning by doing the
clean them from the milk.
experiment?
Procedure:
Hypothesis: BEFORE you start the 1. I poured whole milk into a flat tray.
experiment, write what you think will happen 2. I added 8 drops each of red, blue and yellow
and why you think so. food coloring.
3. I added 6 drops of liquid soap.
4. I observed the mixing and movement of the
Materials: List all the equipment you used. colors.
Include the amounts of each item.
Example: 2 liters of water, 2-liter
bottle, one bowl
Materials: A flat tray (like a cookie baking tray),
Procedure: Write a step-by-step explanation Food coloring (at least 3 different colors), Whole
of what you did, numbered in list form. milk, Liquid soap
Data: I observed that when I added the first
Data: Your observations must be recorded drop of soap, the colors moved quickly away
with a minimum of 3 complete sentences. In from the
addition, you must include either an soap. It looked like fireworks.
organized table, graph or labeled drawing. All When I added more soap, the colors that were
tables, graphs and drawings must have a moving away from the soap mixed, and new
descriptive title. colors
were formed. I saw orange and green and
purple
colors. It looked like Tie Dye.
Changes in Food Coloring in Milk
Analysis: Why do you think this happened?
I think this happened because soap cleans
grease and fat.
Analysis: Analyze your data by answering What is special about soap and milk that
the assigned questions (included in the created
experiment instructions on the back of this this effect? Whole milk has fat in it. When the
page).
soap touches the fat in milk it starts to break it
Conclusion: Explain what you learned in 5 down. This moves the colors that are sitting on
complete sentences. Evaluate your
the
hypothesis. Did you prove your hypothesis fat.
correct or incorrect. Propose ideas for future Conclusion: I learned that when I mix soap with
experiments based on what you learned. whole
What could you try next?
milk that has food coloring, the food coloring will
move and mix to create new colors. This
happens
because the fat in the whole milk gets broken
down
by the soap. I did not prove my hypothesis. I
thought
the colors would get lighter. Instead, I observed
