STEMing for Kids: Dancing Corn

By: Christine Leavitt

The holiday season is coming, and with that, magic is in the air for kids! Why not have a magical STEM activity in which you can make corn dance?

For this experiment, you will need the following:

-1 tall glass Mason jar

-1/8 – 1/4 cup of corn kernels (un-popped)

-2 tbsp. of baking

-1 cup of vinegar

-2 cups of water

-1 drop food coloring (optional)

First, fill the jar with the 2 cups of water.

Second, add the 2 tablespoons of baking soda to the water and mix until all of the baking soda is dissolved. (Click here to learn about how solids dissolve in water.)

Third, add the drop of food coloring to the water (this step is optional).

Fourth, add the corn kernels to the water. What do you think is going to happen?

Fifth, add the vinegar slowly to the mixture (and beware…there will be an eruption if you pour in the vinegar quickly!)

While watching your dancing corn kernels, it is a perfect time to talk about the science. Little Bins for Big Hands writes the following:

Chemistry is all about states of matter including liquids, solids, and gasses. A chemical reaction occurs between two or more substances that change and form a new substance. In this case, you have an acid (liquid: vinegar) and a base (solid: baking soda) when combined make a gas called carbon dioxide which produces the eruption you can see as well as the dancing action. The secret to the magic dancing corn is the baking soda and vinegar chemical reaction. The carbon dioxide bubbles lift the corn, but as the bubbles pop, the corn falls back down! You can repeat this experiment over and over again.

Written by:

Christine Leavitt

Graduate Research Assistant

Women and Gender Studies