======Oil Slick Cleanup======


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**Materials: **{{$demo.materials_description}}\\
**Difficulty: **{{$demo.difficulty_description}}\\
**Safety: **{{$demo.safety_description}}\\
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**Categories:** {{$demo.categories}}
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**Alternative titles:** Oil and Water Pollution Activity
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====Summary====                   
{{$demo.summary}}



====Procedure====  
  - Fill a tin pan halfway with water.  
  - Pour in a small amount of vegetable oil to simulate an oil spill. Observe how the oil floats.  
  - Try cleaning it up using cotton balls, paper towels, a spoon, or a medicine dropper. Which works best?  
  - Add a few drops of dish soap and watch how it breaks the oil apart into smaller droplets.



====Links==== 
Demonstration: Oil Spill Cleanup - Arizona Science Center: 
{{youtube>0m62X_cN55Q?}}\\

📄 Easy Oil Spill Experiment - Little Bins for Little Hands: [[https://littlebinsforlittlehands.com/oil-spill-experiment/]]\\


====Variations====
  - Add blue food coloring to the water to make it look more like the ocean.  
  - Use a sponge, cheesecloth, or a fine mesh strainer as extra cleanup tools.  
  - Create a timed challenge: give groups of students 3 minutes to remove as much oil as possible. 



====Safety Precautions====
  - Use vegetable oil, not motor oil, for safety.  
  - Clean spills immediately to avoid slippery surfaces.  
  - Wash hands after the activity, especially after handling oil and soap.




====Questions to Consider====
  * Why does oil float on top of water instead of mixing in?  
  * Which cleanup method worked best and why?  
  * How does dish soap break up the oil?  
  * What happens to animals when they are covered in oil?