Today we are doing the pasta fountain science experiment. Kids of all ages will love this interesting science experiment. You can make a shooting pasta fountain with this science experiment. It’s simple, educational, and fun! Add this pasta science experiment to your curriculum or use it for a science project or classroom!
Pasta Fountain Science Experiment
With this pasta experiment you will be exploring physics, specifically you will be exploring the chain fountain. A chain fountain happens when pasta are pulled out of a container and seem to defy gravity, shooting up into the air before falling back down.
What causes this strange effect? It’s powered by inertia. As the first pieces of pasta fall and hit the ground, they pull the next pieces up and out of the container. This creates a self-sustaining flow that arches into the air before dropping, like a fountain made of pasta.
This is also known as the Mould Effect, named after the science presenter Steve Mould, who helped popularize it. Along the way, you’ll explore other science concepts like gravity, motion, impact, and flow.
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Related: Download and print our scientific method steps for kids printable!
Supplies Needed For This Pasta Fountain Experiment
How To Do This Pasta Fountain Experiment
There is a little prep work to do before you can jump into the experiment. We suggest you do this the day before you do the science experiment.
How To Dye Pasta
Step 1
Place your pasta in a baggie and add a few drops of food coloring and a teaspoon of white vinegar or rubbing alcohol.
You can also mix it in a dish like we did, just make sure all of it is covered.
Step 2
If you’re using the bag, make sure you shake vigorously until the pasta is coated.
Step 3
Pour it onto a lined baking sheet or tray to dry for a a while or until completely dry.
Science Experiment Notes:
It can take up to 8 hours and then you may want to lay it on paper towels to dry for about 2 hours to ensure no dye is still wet.
How To Do The Science Experiment
Step 1
Slide the dyed noodles on your string.
Step 2
Place it all into a bowl. What will happen when you release the string?
Step 3
Hold the bowl at chest height and pull out a few inches of the pasta covered string of the bowl… what happened?
The Outcome Of The Pasta Fountain Experiment
The pasta string should have formed a little fountain, pouring out piece by piece from the bowl onto the floor. But why? It’s the Mould Effect!
The string and penne noodles act like a series of tiny rods connected by flexible links. As the pasta rests on the hard edge of the bowl, gravity pulls the first pieces down, but the bowl pushes back – giving each noodle a small upward ‘kick’. This motion lifts the pasta into the air before it falls, creating the chain fountain that seems to defy gravity. Pretty neat, right!
Materials
- String (Don’t use anything stretchy)
- Dried Tube Shaped Macaroni (Penne)
- Food Coloring
- Vinegar
- Bowl
Instructions
How To Dye Pasta
- Place your pasta in a baggie and add a few drops of food coloring and a teaspoon of white vinegar or rubbing alcohol. You can also mix it in a dish like we did, just make sure all of it is covered.
- If you’re using the bag, make sure you shake vigorously until the pasta is coated.
- Pour it onto a lined baking sheet or tray to dry for a a while or until completely dry.
How To Do The Noodle Fountain Experiment
- Slide the dyed noodles on your string.
- Place it all into a bowl. What will happen when you release the string?
- Hold the bowl at chest height and pull out a few inches of the pasta covered string of the bowl… what happened?
Notes
It can take up to 8 hours and then you may want to lay it on paper towels to dry for about 2 hours to ensure no dye is still wet.
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How did your pasta fountain turn out?
