Oil and water do not mix
Chemistry · Early Years · The School
Stir hard, still separate
Pour a little oil into a jar of water. Stir it as hard as you can. Really work at it. Shake the jar too, hard, with the lid on tight. Wait a moment and look again. The oil and water have separated. They always do, however hard you tried, and however long you kept going.
Oil always floats on top
Look closely at the jar. The oil sits in a layer, right at the top. The water sits underneath it, every single time, without fail. Oil is lighter than water for the same amount. That is why it always rises up above, and never sinks below.
Not like sugar
Stir sugar into water and it dissolves. It disappears into the water completely. It stays mixed in, for good, however long you leave it. Oil never does this, not even once. Shake it. Stir it. Wait a whole day if you like. The oil and water always separate again, into two clear layers.
Pour oil and water into a clear jar. Shake it hard. For a moment, it looks cloudy and mixed. Watch closely. Within seconds, it starts to separate. Wait a little longer. Two clear layers appear. Oil on top. Water below. Shake it again, just as hard. The same thing happens. Oil on top. Water below. Every single time, however hard you shake it.