100 Days of Science #21 & 22-- Cotton Candy Experiments

I have been searching for some bagged cotton candy for some time now so that I could do some quick and simple science experiments with the boys. 

I was so excited to find a few bags at Target mixed in with all their Easter decor and the boys and I could not wait to dig in.  First they had to taste test it and then we got down to business. 

For the first experiment we put equal amount of cotton candy in two matching containers and set a lid on one while we left the other out and exposed to the air.  For the first few days they looked exactly the same.

Then gradually we began to notice that the uncovered jar began to shrink, and shrink, and shrink some more!

Exactly a week later we examined our jars and noticed that the shrunken pile of cotton candy was not only significantly smaller but it was hard as a rock too.  The covered pile was unchanged and we discussed WHY this happened. 

Then the younger boys asked what would happen if we added water to them.  Evan thought the hard pile of cotton candy might fluff up a bit more but Alec predicted that it would melt.  

So for our second experiment Alec got two equal measurements (1/4 cup each) and filled them with water that was the same approximate temperature.  

He then poured the water onto the two piles at once.

The fluffy cotton candy immediately shrank and dissolved right before our eyes.

The only quick photo I managed to snap before it looked like a pile of water

The harder packed and dried out cotton candy took a bit longer to absorb the water and then it too began to dissolve.  

You can still see the dried cotton candy on the left; slowly dissolving in the water

Do you have any favorite food experiments?  I think we need to get one more package and look at it under the microscope!  

Others in this series:

1. Bernoulli's Principle
2. Ecotarium Trip 
3. Air Molecule Experiment
4. Kitchen Science
5. Corn Maze Field Trip 
6. Birds of Florida 
7. Making Static Music
8. Un-Make It Monday
9. Wind Tunnel Experiment
10. Biomes Field Trip
11. Disappearing Coin Trip
12. Snuffing out a Candle With Baking Soda
13. Making Plastic from Milk
14. Friction Experiment 
15. & 16. Snow Experiments
17. Making an Iceberg
18. Floating Eggs
19. Pond Water Under a Microscope 
20. Planting Eco Plant Pals

23. Springfield Science Museum Trip

24.  Teaching Children the Signs of Spring

25.  Color Changing Slime

26.  Growing Tickle Me Plants

27.  Learning About Soil Sampling

28.  Making Super Bouncy Balls 

29. Exploring the New England Shoreline

30.  Color Changing Flower Experiment 

31.  Roger Williams Zoo Trip

32.  Edible Silly Putty 

33.  Raising Tadpoles

34. More Microscope Fun

35. Making Homemade Ice Cream

36.  Observing Plants Breathe 

37.  Trip to Save the Bay Exploration Center and Aquarium

38. Making Fresh Peach Preserves 

39.  Making Solar S'mores

40.  Growing a Crystal Garden

41 & 42.  Jolly Rancher Candy Apples and Lollipops

43.  Volcanic Lemons 

44.  Oozing Pumpkins 

45.  Growing a Germ Farm

46.  Looking at the Germ Farm Under a Microscope

47 & 48.  Building Model Molecules Two Ways 

49.  Kitchen Chemistry Experiments 

50.  Fall Leaf Chromatography 

51.  Color Changing Experiments with Iodine

52.  Learning About Birds in Winter

53. Iodine and Starch Experiment
54. Flouride and Calcium Experiment
55. Botanical Gardens in Winter
56.  Making Cell Models
57. Which Has More Water; Ice or Snow?
58. Exploding Snow and Water Baggies
59.  Exploring Minerals
60. Visiting the Hartford Science Museum
61-63. 3 STEM Bridge Challenges
64. Making Models of the Earth
65. Plate Techtonics with Graham Crackers
66.  Homemade Lava Lamp
67.  Science Movies We're Watching
68. Index Card Towers
69.  Botany at the Botanical Gardens
70. Best Board Games for Science 
71. Homemade Frozen Yogurt Pops
72.  Starburst Rock Cycle 
73. & 74. Sinking a Marshmallow
75. Jumping Conversation Hearts 
76-78. Building a Paper Airplane 3 Ways 
79. Learning About Hummingbirds 
80.  Planting an Herb Garden 
81. Mushroom Spores 
82. - 84.  Penny Saturation Experiments 
85. Sink or Float?
86. Disappearing Ink 
87. Sedment Layer Jars
88. Tie Dye Science 
89-91. DNA Experiments 
92.  Homemade Butter 
93. Floating Marker Art 
94. & 95. Oil Spills & Water Filtration 
96.- 98. Making Rock Candy & Rock Candy Experiments 
99. Rocket Science 

100. Permaculture Garden Tour