Sink or Float - The Orange

Here’s another great Science experiment for children. This activity will show how and why things float and sink.

First, we need to fill up a clear container with water. Then drop an orange in the water and observe. Then take out the orange and peel it. Then place the orange and its peeling in the water. Watch what happens.

If we weigh the unpeeled orange vs the peeled orange, the unpeeled orange is heavier. Its peelings make it heavy. But why did the peeled orange sink in the water? When we peel the orange, we actually made it denser. You see the skin of the orange is full of tiny air pockets, which give it lower density than water. What is Density? Density is the amount of mass per volume, it means, if an object has a higher density than water, it will sink. If it has a lower density, then it will float. You can even try the experiment with different fruits.

What a fun way to learn about oranges and density!