In this experiment, students use paper chromatography to investigate the food dyes used in candies like Skittles® and M&Ms®. By dissolving the candy coating in water and placing a drop of the resulting dye onto a strip of paper, students can observe how the different pigments travel up the paper when placed in a salt water solution. The solvent moves through the paper via capillary action, separating the pigments based on their polarity and chemical properties. This reveals whether each candy color is made up of a single dye or a mixture of pigments, helping students compare color compositions across different types of candies.
Students will engage in a STEM challenge to design a truck powered by a chemical reaction that will have to stop within a specific drop-off zone. Teams will be challenged with various payloads to earn bonus points if they can stop in the drop-off zone.
