Leaf Color Science Experiment
Materials
Leaves
Jars with lids
Rubbing alcohol
Butter knife
Large bowl
Hot water
Coffee filters
Plates
Scissors
Directions
Head outside and collect leaves. Try to gather 4 to 6 different types of leaves at different stages of turning color.
Set out one jar for each type of leaf you collected. Tear leaves into small pieces and place one into each jar.
Add just enough rubbing alcohol to cover the leaves, then use a knife or other utensil to mash up the leaves into the alcohol. Your should start to see the rubbing alcohol turn a bit green.
Set the jars in a large dish or bowls. Add hot water to the bowl or dish and cover the jars with lids or plastic wrap.
Let the jars sit for approximately one hour. Give them a little swish every once in a while to help release the chlorophyll. Your alcohol should be turning a nice green. You can also refresh the hot water if it cools too much.
Cut a coffee filter into quarters and place on a plate. Using a teaspoon or dropper add a couple of drops of the liquid to the tip of the filter.
Wait approximately 30 min to one hour to see how the colors move up the filter paper and separate.
What happens if you leave it in the solution even longer? Maybe overnight? The colors will become more bold and larger, making the colors easier to see.
What’s Happening?
Leaves, like all green plants, contain Chlorophyll. Chlorophyll is the molecule that traps the energy of the sun and is called a photoreceptor. It is what makes green plants, green. It is also a key part of photosynthesis which is what allows plant to get energy from sunlight.
Leaves are actually more colors than just green, but chlorophyll is so dominant most of the summer the green masks the other natural colors in the leaves. In this experiment, we used rubbing alcohol and two types of energy to separate the colors. We used mechanical energy by ripping up the leaves and mashing them, plus heat energy from the hot water.
adapted from Steam Powered Family