Sweet+Dyes

Many sweets are available in a variety of bright colours. These sweets provide an opportunity to experiment with a wide range of food dyes. In the following activity, students use pigments that are present in food dyes to colour cotton and wool. __ What You Need __ : · Samples of white cotton fabric or degreased wool (natural wool is greasy and will not absorb dye) · White vinegar · Small jars · Six jelly beans of the same colour · Lukewarm water __ What You Do: __ 1. Put six jelly beans of the same colour into a small jar. 2. Pour in a small amount of lukewarm water so that it just covers the jelly beans. 3. Allow the beans to soak for 3 or 4 minutes. Stir them occasionally during this time. 4. Add the cotton or wool and about 1 millilitre of vinegar. (The vinegar acts as a mordant and fixes the dye). 5. Remove the cotton or wool from the dye solution. 6. Rinse it in water to remove any excess dye. 7. Repeat the test using a different type of sweet, for example, Jelly Beans and Smarties, or Jaffas and Pebbles. What colours do you get? This information was sourced from: Ministry of Education. (1998). //Making Sense of the Living World//.
 * SWEET DYES **
 * BIG IDEA **
 * A dye can be used to add colour to textiles, leather, paper and even food. **