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Science in the box

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SCIENCE EXPERIMENTS

Whether in schools or at home, science experiments can be simple, fun and interesting while presenting valuable learning opportunities for children. We have compiled a number of our favourite experiments on this page for you to use. The objective is to make science interesting using everyday products available in the home.

The experiments are divided into two age groups: from 8-11 years of age (primary school) and from 12-17 (secondary school). In some cases, they are repeated in both age groups with a different level of focus and complexity. With experiments adapted to different ages, the motive is to make science attractive, stimulate curiosity and unlock some of the mystery that surrounds many of our everyday activities and products in the home.

Curiosity in science starts when students are quite young and P&G is dedicated to doing all it can to support teachers in developing lessons that attract students’ interest, make science fun and open up further studies. For best results and safe use, we recommend that you strictly follow the procedures and apply the safety advice.

The experiments are provided freely to whoever is interested without any commercial objectives.  As some of these experiments have external sources (who have kindly given their permission to P&G to reproduce them), we would appreciate that you acknowledge these sources and Science-in-the-box in any reproduction or development.
Please send us your feedback so we can continue to improve these experiments.
To download all experiments, click here  (pdf-format)

  • Experiments for younger students (8-11 years old)

    Have you ever wondered how spiders can walk on water or how enzymes eat stains? What would you need to make oil and water mix? Experiments in this section show how water has a skin, the difference between hard and soft water and how surfactants and enzymes work to clean stains and grease.
    The following experiments are aimed at students in primary schools (between 8 and 11 years of age).
    • 1. Soap Suds or Scum?

      This experiment will show the difference between hard and soft water as well as between soap and detergent. (see also Experiment 8 for a similar experiment for older students)
    • 2. Pepper Scatter

      The Pepper Scatter will introduce the notions of surfactants and surface tension and how soap separates dirt in the cleaning process.
    • 3. Unstick Lipstick

      Can laundry detergents clean a greasy substance better than water? Unstick Lipstick will show the difference.
    • 4. Oil and Water

      Is there any way that oil and water can mix? This experiment shows how detergents clean up grease and also how this can be applied to oil spills (see Experiment 10 for a similar experiment for older students).
    • 5. Sink Science

      Sink Science shows how detergents work in cleaning up greasy dishes (see Experiment 11 for a similar experiment for older students).
    • 6. Soap Box Opera

      Soap Box Opera shows the impact that smaller packaging and product size can have on the environment (see Experiment 12 for a similar experiment for older students).
    • 7. Clean that Stain

      This experiment demonstrates how enzymes work in a laundry detergent.
  • Experiments for older students (12-17 years old)

    Imagine racing boats across water powered by soap and surface tension. See how hand dish soap can help in the rescue of birds caught in oil spills. Other experiments in this section will show how detergents can work in hard water and how dishwashing detergents clean.
    The following experiments are aimed at students in secondary schools (from 12 to 17 years of age)
    • 8. Water Hardness – Causes and Solutions

      What makes water hard? This experiment will show how soap and detergents work in hard water (more advanced version of Experiment 1).
    • 9. Soap Power

      Soap Power will investigate how surface tension can cause movement and how detergents affect surface tension. It will be done by racing paper boats across water powered by detergents.
    • 10. Oil Spill Simulation

      Students will be able to simulate an oil spill and investigate different techniques for cleaning up oil spills (more advanced version of Experiment 4).
    • 11. The Science in Dishwashing

      This experiment will establish the necessary conditions for effective dish washing (more advanced version of Experiment 5).
    • 12. Soap Box Score

      Soap Box Score shows how to quantify the ratio of packaging material to product content for different types of laundry detergents (more advanced version of Experiment 6).
    • 13. Digesting Detergent?

      How do enzymes litterally eat stains? Digesting Detergent? shows the use and activity of enzymes in detergents.
  • Experiments suitable for all ages

    Have you ever wondered how Pampers can hold so much liquid and not leak? Would you like to create artwork simply with a drop of detergent, milk and food colouring? And if you need to use a calculator or have some light, you can always make a battery ... out of a lemon!
    These experiments will amuse and attract students of all ages.
    • 14. Colour Explosion

      Colour Explosion introduces the notions of surfactants and surface tension and shows how detergents can affect the properties at the surface of a liquid in both a beautiful and easy manner.
    • 15. The Water-Eater

      The Water-Eater shows how to get superabsorbers out of a Pampers diaper and use them in experiments to measure their absorption capacity compared to cloth. Students are encouraged to think of how else these superabsorbers can be used.
    • 16. Salty Soup

      This experiment demonstrates the absorption differences between distilled water and a saline solution.
    • 17. Making a Lemon-cell Battery

      By making a battery out of lemons (or other fruits and vegetables), students learn how batteries work.
  • Please send us your feedback

    These experiments are part of P&G’s continuing project to improve scientific understanding and education.  We would like to invite your feedback as we continue to develop and enhance these experiments.
    For further information and feedback on these science experiments, please contact P&G: stalmans.m@pg.com.

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Illustrations from P&G's Science-in-the-Box website can be used freely for educational, non-commercial purposes provided that the source will be published as follows: "Obtained from www.scienceinthebox.com (P&G website)"

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