Leaf Color Experiment

With fall around the corner, we've been seeing the leaves in our neighborhood slowly start to change. My kids have had so much fun discovering the new pops of color in our yard. This is absolutely one of our favorite fall science experiments! Simple and quick, this experiment teaches kids about color in leaves. If you are a parent of curious kids, be sure to give this experiment a try!

How We Did It

Note the current color of the rubbing alcohol. Now wait about an hour and observe what happened to the leaves and alcohol. What do you see?

Let your experiment sit overnight and come back to see if your alcohol color has turned darker. Can you guess what colors these leaves are?

What's going on?

Leaves are full of chlorophyll, which works to for convert the energy of the sun into food for the plant. Chlorophyll also makes leaves appear green. They have other colors in them as well, but as long as there's lots of chlorophyll, the green hides all the other colors. However, in the fall the chlorophyll in the leaves starts to break down. This allows other colors such as yellow, and orange to make their appearance!

Original article and pictures take http://www.kiwicrate.com/projects/Leaf-Color-Experiment-/2686/?utm_source=Pinterest&utm_medium=SOCIAL&utm_content=Koala&utm_campaign=DIY&utm_term=Leaf%20Color%20Experiment site