Oil Spill Cleanup Experiment
Oil spills have a major impact on our environment, and one of the biggest risks is oil spills in the ocean. This form of ocean pollution is absolutely devastating for our oceans and marine life. Today we are learning about oil spills, oil spill cleanup, and ocean pollution with an easy oil spill experiment you can do at home or in the classroom. This oil spill activity is a hit with students of all ages and makes a great addition to an ocean science unit study, or environmental sciences study, or as an Earth Day activity . It also makes a fantastic science fair project .
What you will discover in this article!
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What is an Oil Spill?
Perhaps you have seen on the news that an oil spill has happened, or maybe you have been visiting a local river or waterway and saw the greasy rainbow hues of oil floating on the water. Although oil spills can happen on land, one of the biggest issues is oil spills into bodies of water. An oil spill is the accidental release of oil (petroleum) products into a body of water, either by an oil tanker ship, offshore oil rig, pipelines and even recreational vehicles, etc.
How do oil spills happen?
There are a number of possible causes of oil spills including structural failures, equipment malfunctions, collisions, carelessness of people, natural disasters (such as storms), and sadly, deliberate acts by people through terrorism, vandalism or illegal dumping.
Whatever the cause, and how the oil spill happened, when it does happen it is extremely damaging to the marine ecosystem, creating water pollution problems which affect humans, animals and plants.
How are oil spills cleaned up?
How an oil spill is cleaned up will depend on how much oil has been spilled, where it was spilled, and what impacts the oil spill has on the area.
Booms are physical barriers that stop the oil from spreading from an area. By keeping the oil in one area, it makes clean up easier. Booms can also be used to protect areas by stopping the oil from spreading to certain areas. One of our experiments will challenge students to build a boom to see if they can stop the spread of the oil.
Another approach is to use a Skimmer . These machines and devices help to collect the oil from the water. There are a few different ways this can be done by either scooping up the oil, or by using absorption techniques to collect the oil. We will try a few different skimmer techniques in our experiment.
So what happens if you have animals that are covered with oil? In that case, oil spill cleanup takes a different approach and a dispersant is used to help clean up the animals. Dispersants can also be used in the water as part of oil spill cleanup, but unlike other approaches that remove the oil, in this case it is simply spreading the oil out and diluting it. The chemicals, pollution and oil are still in the waterways. We will see this in action in our experiment.
Now we have learned about oil spills, let’s do some experiments.
Watch the video of this experiment! If you can’t see this video, please turn off your adblockers as they also block our video feed. You can also find this on the STEAM Powered Family YouTube Channel .
For these experiments you will need the following supplies:
A shallow bowl or dish Water Oil (vegetable oil or baby oil would work too) Food coloring Spoons Paper towels Cotton balls Syringe or pipettes Sponges Craft sticks
Optional – Measuring cups or scales Optional – Other materials to try and clean up the spill: gauze pads, make up sponges
Oil Spill Experiment Worksheet
As members of the STEAM Powered Family mailing list you can grab our oil spill experiment worksheet here.
Experiment #1 – What happens when oil is spilled on water?
The first part of our experiment will demonstrate what happens when oil and water mix .
Take a shallow dish or bowl and fill it about half way with water. Then students will add some oil to their water and observe what happens to the oil.
They will discover that oil floats on the water and slowly spreads across the surface of the water creating a thin layer called an oil slick. Once it is thin enough, it will take on that sheen and rainbow look that you have probably seen on the water at local marinas or waterways. Although pretty, it is not a good thing to see. It means the water is polluted.
Record your observations!
Now waterways and the ocean are not still water, so give that water a stir and watch what happens too!
Experiment #2 – Cleaning up an oil spill with skimmers
Now we have an oil spill, we need to clean it up! First, let’s try various types of skimmers. Have the students use absorbent skimmers like sponges, make up remover pads, paper towels, etc. Record the effectiveness of each type. Are they only picking up the oil, or are they soaking up a lot of water as well?
Now try physical skimmers such as syringes, pipettes, and spoons. How effective are they at picking up the oil? Record your observations.
For older kids you can weigh or measure the amount of oil and water that was added to the bowl, then weigh or measure the amount of oil removed by various techniques to see if you can find the most effective one. Just be careful to account for water that is also being picked up.
Experiment #3 – Creating a boom
For this next experiment, try another approach that can be used with oil spill clean ups, a boom. Remember, a boom works by either keeping the oil in a specific area or away from a specific area. Challenge your students to come up with their own type of boom, then test to see if it is effective for controlling where the oil goes.
We tried using craft sticks and paper towels. Our big struggle was that the oil kept going around the boom. So our next step would be to fashion something that traps the oil.
Test a few different types of booms and record the results. Which type was the most effective?
Experiment #4 – Using dispersants in oil spill clean ups
This experiment is always exciting. Add a couple of drops of dishwashing liquid. We used Dawn Ultra. Immediately you would see the oil forms big droplets and moves to the edges of your bowl. The edges of the bowl are acting like a boom and the dish soap is the dispersants. Now try again to use a skimmer to pick up the oil.
Record those results!
Optional Experiment #5 – Oil and feathers
This is just an extra quick and easy experiment to see how oil affects marine birds. For this experiment you can take a feather and dip it in water. How does the water affect the feather? Now take a feather and dip it in the oil water. What is the difference? Now image a bird, who is covered in feathers, how it would become extremely heavy. Not only can the oil stop them from flying, it can make it difficult for the birds to stay afloat when coated with heavy oil.
The Science of Oil Spills
Water molecules are polar which means one end has a slight negative charge, the other a slight positive charge. The polarity means those water molecules can form hydrogen bonds and attach to other molecules that are also polar, this includes other water molecules. It is like little magnets attracting each other.
On the other hand we have oil molecules which are non-polar. This means they can’t form hydrogen bonds with water molecules. This results in water and oil not being able to mix. Oil is lighter than water, so it floats on top of the water without mixing in.
Skimmers work by physically removing the oil from where it is floating on top of the water, either through a mechanical means, or by using absorptive materials.
The dish soap is a surfactant. It is hydrophilic. A hydrophilic molecule or portion of a molecule is one that interacts with or can be dissolved by water and other polar substances. In this experiment the dish soap is the dispersant and disperses the oil through the water. You can see more of this in action in the Magic Milk Experiment or Glitter Magic .
Exploring Oil Spills Next Steps
Now we have done all of these experiments and learned a lot about oil spills and how oil and water interact, let’s apply that knowledge. What do you think would be the most effective way to clean up an oil spill?
Can you come up with a new invention idea for cleaning up oil spills? Share your ideas! We need more brilliant minds working on solutions just like this to help protect our planet!
Ready to dive into more Water STEM and Science Experiments? Check out this comprehensive resource.
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Or this printable lesson pack on Oceanography .
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Clean It Up – Oil Spill Experiment
February 20, 2020 By Emma Vanstone Leave a Comment
An oil spill is when sea water is contaminated with oil. This can be an accident or human error. Oil spills can be massively damaging to marine wildlife and also humans if the oil gets into the food chain . This hand-on oil spill science experiment is not only great for helping children visualise the effects of an oil spill, but also demonstrates how water and oil don’t mix and why oil floats on water .
Oil Spill Experiment for Kids
You’ll need
Clear plastic container
Vegetable oil
Spoon or pipette
Cotton wool
Cotton buds
Paper towel
Oil Spill Investigation Instructions
Step 1 – add oil to water.
Half fill the clear container with water. Drop a small amount of oil onto the water.
The oil will float on top of the water. Even if you shake the container ( cover it first ) the oil and water will separate again.
Use a cotton bud to move the oil around surface of the water.
Step 2 – Oil Clean Up
Pour enough water into the tray so the surface is completely covered and the tray is about half full.
Carefully drop two tablespoons of oil onto the surface of the water.
Experiment with the absorbent materials to discover which cleans up the oil spill the best.
Oil Spill Challenge s
Try to build something to contain oil to one area of the tray.
Try the experiment again, but this time use the same amount of each absorbing material and collect the oil for the same amount of time. Which material absorbs the oil the most effectively?
Another idea is to dip a feather in the oily water and watch as it starts to feel heavier. Imagine being a bird with oil covered feathers. This activity can be further extended by exploring different methods of cleaning oil covered feathers. Water and water with washing up liquid are great things to try first.
Read about the biggest oil spills in history .
If you found our oil spill science experiment useful you might also enjoy our edible greenhouse gas models .
Last Updated on November 3, 2021 by Emma Vanstone
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These activities are designed to be carried out by children working with a parent, guardian or other appropriate adult. The adult involved is fully responsible for ensuring that the activities are carried out safely.
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Oil Spill Experiment
You’ve heard about oil spills on the news or maybe read about the cleanup in the newspaper, but did you know you could learn about ocean pollution right at home or in the classroom? This big idea is made tangible for kids with this easy oil spill experiment. This eye-opening oil spill activity will sure to be a hit with your kids, ocean science never goes out of style!
OIL SPILL CLEANUP EXPERIMENT FOR KIDS
Ocean Pollution
Add this oil spill lab to your ocean lesson plans year. Learn more about ocean pollution as you create your own oil spill model and try to find ways to clean up the oil.
While you’re at it, make sure to check out these other fun ocean science activities !
Our science experiments are designed with you, the parent or teacher, in mind! Easy to set up, quick to do, most activities will take only 15 to 30 minutes to complete, and are fun! Plus, our supplies lists usually contain only free or cheap materials you can source from home!
This oil spill activity might get a bit messy but then again oil spills are a messy topic too! Use this oil spill demonstration with your kids to express the importance of caring for our natural resources. You can also check out these simple ocean activities for younger kids.
Watch the Video!
What is an oil spill.
An oil spill is a form of pollution generally found in a marine ecosystem. However, oil spills can also happen on land. They occur when oil leaks or spills into the water, such as rivers or lakes!
In the oil spill experiment, you will add the oil into a water tray representing the marine environment.
What causes an oil spill?
Accidents often cause oil spills, but they can also be caused by human error or carelessness. These accidents involve tankers, barges, oil drill rigs, and other places or methods of transportation that store or hold large amounts of oil.
Why are oil spills harmful?
Oil spills are harmful to marine birds, mammals, fish, and shellfish. Oil coats the feathers and fur of marine life, leaving them susceptible to hypothermia (being too cold) because their fur or feathers cannot protect them from the weather.
Additionally, an oil spill can contaminate the food supply or food chain. Marine mammals that eat fish or other food exposed to an oil spill may be poisoned by oil.
How to Clean Up an Oil Spill
Below, you will try several ways to clean up the oil spill, including Dawn dish soap.
I’m sure we have all seen the commercials for Dawn dish soap and how it’s helped clean thousands of animals affected by oil spills, but how does it do that? Soap breaks up the oil into smaller drops that can mix with the water and rinse away.
The chemistry behind soap is the key! Each end of the soap is made of different molecules. One end hates water (hydrophobic), and the other loves water (hydrophilic).
The oil is then broken up into tinier droplets and is no longer one big clump, it’s easier to remove!
The chemicals that clean actual oil spills work similarly to dish soap but on a bigger lever. You can read more about various oil spill clean up methods here.
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How to Set Up an Oil Spill Experiment
Gather the following supplies and get started. This could get a little messy!
- Vegetable Oil
- Dawn Dish Soap
- Medicine Dropper
- Paper Towels
- Cotton Balls
Other options to try include a very fine mesh strainer or cheesecloth!
Oil Spill Cleanup Activity Set Up:
STEP 1: Fill the tin pan/ tray half full of water.
STEP 2: Pour oil into the water.
STEP 3: Try different ways to clean up the oil.
- Can you use cotton balls?
- How about paper towels?
- Did you try the spoon or medicine dropper to scoop out the oil?
STEP 4: Lastly, try using the Dawn Dish Soap.
Extend the Activity – Adapt for Ages
Young children (ages 3-6):.
Simplified Explanation : Use language appropriate for their age to provide a simple explanation of oil spills and why they’re harmful to animals and the environment.
Hands-On Exploration : Allow them to explore the materials freely, focusing more on sensory exploration rather than structured cleanup.
Guided Assistance : Offer assistance and guidance as they experiment with different tools. Focus on developing basic motor skills and fostering curiosity.
Creative Expression : Encourage imaginative play and storytelling about cleaning up the “ocean” and saving the “animals”.
Short Attention Spans : Keep the activity short and engaging, as younger children may have shorter attention spans.
Elementary School Children (Ages 6-12):
Educational Discussion : Provide a more detailed explanation of oil spills and their environmental impact, using age-appropriate language. Discuss concepts like pollution and conservation.
Structured Cleanup : Introduce specific challenges or goals for cleanup, such as using only specific tools or cleaning up within a time limit.
Problem-Solving : Encourage critical thinking and problem-solving as they experiment with different cleanup methods. Ask questions to prompt thinking, like “Why do you think this tool is effective?” or “How can we prevent spreading the oil?”
Teamwork : Foster teamwork by pairing children up or having them work in small groups to clean up the oil spill together.
Reflection: After the activity, discuss what the students learned and how they can apply it to real-life situations. Use our questions for reflection!
TIP: For older kids, you can also have graduated cylinders available. Measure the oil into the cylinder before pouring it into the water. Then, have them use a spoon to collect the same amount of oil and put it back into the cylinder.
Set a timer and see how much oil is recollected at the end of the given time!
CHALLENGE: What other ways can the kids come up with to remove the oil from the pan?
Oil Spill Science Projects
Do you want to turn this oil spill experiment into a science fair project? Check out these helpful resources below.
- Science Project Tips From A Teacher
- Science Fair Board Ideas
- Easy Science Fair Projects
Turn this science experiment into a fantastic presentation about the best oil spill clean up method along with your hypothesis. Learn more about the scientific method for kids and variables in science .
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Oil Spill Clean-Up Experiment
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By Olivia Poindexter, Early Childhood Intern
Have you ever helped your parents clean up a spill at home? Our oceans can sometimes have spills too, but, unlike a splash of milk or a puddle of soda pop, these spills can cause some real problems. As our cities grow and more people get cars to drive around, we need more fuel for power and this fuel can come from an “off-shore” oil rig. These rigs are engineered with extreme care, but accidents happen, causing oil to spill into the ocean, threatening the animals and plants that live there. Scientists have worked to create the best methods to clean up these slick spills, but it can be tricky! In this DIY activity, you will try to figure out the best way to clean up an “oil spill” of your own!
- Large, Shallow Container (casserole dish, cake pan, etc.)
- Modeling Clay
- Oil (vegetable, canola, etc.)
Take the modeling clay, and create land masses on the sides of your container. After making the land masses, fill the container with water, making your ocean. Now it is time for the oil spill… OH NO! Pour some oil into the middle of your ocean. Watch what happens to the oil. Does it stay in the same place, or does it spread out? You better clean up the oil before it gets bigger!
- Try taking the sponge and absorbing the oil into the sponge. Did that clean up the oil spill? On to the next method.
- Take your spoon and try to scoop out the oil just like the boats scoop out the oil in the ocean. Did that clean up the oil spill?
- Finally squeeze some dish soap onto the oil. Did that clean up the oil spill? What happened when you put the dish soap on the oil?
The Science
This experiment teaches you how scientists actually clean up oil spills that happen in our oceans. The three methods that are routinely used are absorption, skimming, and dispersants. Scientist can absorb the oil by using giant sponges, to suck all of the oil out of the water. Scientists will also take out boats that have big bags attached that “skim” the oil from the surface of the water. As the boats sail around the spill, the bags collect all of the oil as it sits on the surface of the water. Last, but not least, they can use a dispersant like dish soap to literally “clean up” the oil! Scientists don’t agree on which method works best. Discuss which of the three worked best for you!
Further Exploration
- Which one of the methods cleaned up the most oil? Which was easiest?
- Can you think of another way that could help clean up oil? Test out your theories on a new “spill.”
- Could you use some of these methods to clean up spills in your house?
- Come to the Adventure Science Center all July to learn more about the ocean and the plants and animals that may be affected by an oil spill!
- Learn more about oil spills and how to clean them up!
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Science Projects > Earth & Space Projects > Oil Spill Cleanup Experiments
Oil Spill Cleanup Experiments
Oil clean up experiments are useful for understanding how professional scientists, engineers, and technicians handle large, hazardous spills.
These oil clean up experiments make use of the chemical properties of water .
How Oil and Water Interact
There have been many oil spills over the years, such as the Gulf oil spill in the U.S. that happened in April 2010, when there was an accident at a drilling rig in the Gulf of Mexico.
A spill like this that is close to land causes many problems for the environment and makes it difficult to clean up . As little as three gallons of oil can spread to make a slick mess covering one acre of the ocean’s surface. With the Gulf oil spill, it’s estimated that 200,000 gallons a day have spilled into the ocean as scientists work to stop the leak and clean up.
Oil spills like this are very damaging, but they aren’t the only source of oil that is polluting our waters.
Rain washes particles from air pollution into the ocean. Natural seeps from the ocean bottom also occur every year. And one of the biggest sources of oil polluting the ocean is thought to be from the oil people put down their drains every day, as well as the runoff from parking lots. So, cleaning up the ocean is an important issue, not just because of recent oil spills.
Oil and water don’t mix — as you might already know. You also know that oil is sticky and greasy. This makes it hard to clean up. Let’s take a look at the chemical properties of oil and water to see why.
This molecular structure gives the water molecule polarity , or a lopsided electrical charge that attracts other atoms.
The end of the molecule with the two hydrogen atoms is positively charged. The other end, with the oxygen, is negatively charged. Just like in a magnet, where north poles are attracted to south poles (“opposites attract”), the positive end of the water molecule will connect with the negative end of other molecules. Because of their polarity, water molecules are strongly attracted to one another.
What happens when oil and water are put together?
The two liquids won’t mix.
Oil is non-polar , meaning its molecules are balanced, with equal sharing of electrical particles, rather than one negative and one positive end. No matter how much you stir it, a mix of oil and water won’t come together, because the molecules can’t connect.
Oil is made of more complex molecules, containing carbon and hydrogen. Oil molecules are non-polar, meaning they don’t stick together like water molecules do. Oil is thick and heavy, yet its molecules are spread farther apart, lowering the density. Because it has a lower density, oil floats on water’s surface. Oil is also slippery — it doesn’t stick together like the polar molecules of water.
Experiment One – What happens When Oil is Added to Water?
You know that water and oil don’t mix. Take a look at exactly how they react to each other and find out what happens to create an oil slick.
- Fill a clear plastic container a little over halfway up with water.
- Pour a few drops of cooking oil into the water, watching what happens when you start pouring very slowly, then pour quickly.
The oil always floats to the top of the water in the container. Even if you were to release it at the bottom, it would float up. If you pour slowly, the oil will stick together, making a big puddle. If you pour more quickly, the oil breaks into droplets, or smaller puddles. If you look closely, you can see tiny drops or particles of oil that are floating on the surface. All of these traces of oil — big and small — make an oil slick. Sometimes the oil is spread extremely thin, and in other spots there is a messy oil puddle. An oil slick is created when a lot of oil is released, so it floats up to the surface and spreads over a large area. In the ocean, waves and the wind spread the oil around even more.
Experiment Two – Oil Cleanup Using Absorbents
Reuse the container of water and oil from the last experiment. Find some materials around your house or school that have absorbent properties and could help soak up the oil to clean up the oil slick. Some examples: cotton balls, laundry lint, a paper towel folded into strips, and makeup remover pads or sponges. Make sure you choose something small and light.
- Place one of the absorbent items into the container of water, moving it around to soak up the spill.
- Try containing the oil by blocking off a small area with several pieces of the absorbent material. Can you make a square around the spill, without any oil escaping?
- Try this project again using one of the other absorbents. (You made need to add more oil to the water to create more slicks.)
- Once the majority of oil is soaked up, throw away the absorbent pads and any other materials you tried and then pour the water down the sink.
In real life, floating objects, sort of like a big sock, are carried into the ocean and then pushed off the side of a boat to help soak up oil spills. These socks (called booms ) are filled with absorbent material that can soak up a lot, yet are also lightweight.
You created a type of mini boom in this experiment. It works to clean up water by soaking up the messy spill once it gets close to a drop of oil. These booms are very effective, but the difficulty is in controlling them so that they go where the oil is.
Was it hard to contain the oil to a small area in this experiment? Many small drops escaped, didn’t they?
Imagine how difficult blocking off an area with booms would be for a real oil spill in the ocean that has waves and wind.
You can expand this science project further by seeing how much oil each absorbent material can contain, or how long they can sit in a container of water before soaking it up and getting wet all the way through.
For better results, be consistent with the size of strips you use, and time your experiments using a stopwatch.
Record the results of your experimenting by keeping a journal on lined paper or a notebook. You can even draw charts or graphs for your lab journal.
| Want to do more in-depth science projects? This new kit is designed to teach students all about oil spills. It includes all the materials you’ll need (except for water) plus full instructions for doing six different experiments. Learn about the polarity of water, use feathers and sponges to study the effects of crude oil on animal life and the environment, and try out real techniques that are used to clean up an oil spill (such as absorption and dispersion). Includes ideas for science fair projects. Ages 10 & up.
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Environmental Science: Oil Spill Clean Up Experiment
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Oil Spills are tragic events and I am always so sad when there is a large oil spill in the ocean. My kids and I did some environmental science this week by doing an Oil Spill Clean Up Experiment . This is a perfect classroom Earth Day STEM project for kids in elementary through middle grades. See more STEM projects HERE .
The term oil spill usually refers to ocean spills, but they also occur on land. Today our oil spill clean-up experiment focuses on the ocean spills. The oil comes from off-shore drilling, from accidents with oil tankers in the ocean, or other large ships dumping or spilling their waste oils.
Obviously something like this causes a major disaster in the ecosystem killing wildlife such as plants and animals in the surrounding area. These disasters can take weeks months and sometimes years of restoration to clean up all of the after effects of these spills. Not only does it affect animals in the ocean, but the habitats of those along the shoreline as well. It is not an easy process. Accidents like this always are heartbreaking to me!
For kids, it is an important thing to learn about. I want my kids to understand the importance of keeping our environment clean and safe.
We did an experiment testing a few ways to clean up our own oil spill. While the different methods we use in our home may not match up to what the amazing scientists use now, it brought awareness to my kids. They began to understand how hard it is to remove the oil from the water, and how much time it must take when hundreds of thousands of gallons are released into the ocean.
This oil spill experiment pairs perfectly with the Let’s Read and Find Out Science book: Oil Spill by Melvin Berger.
How to Do The Oil Spill Clean-Up Experiment
You will need the following supplies:
A Pan of Water Blue Food Coloring (optional, but fun!) Vegetable or motor oil Cotton Balls Bird Feathers Paper towels Dish Soap A Spoon
Fill a pan with water. Add blue food coloring to the water to make the distinction between the water and the oil more obvious.
To make it more fun, I poured vegetable oil into a small toy boat that we had and let the kids dump it into the water that way. It could also be poured straight into the water. We used about 1/4 c. vegetable oil. The oil will sit on the surface of the water.
Give kids a chance to come up with a hypothesis of what absorbers will work best to clean up the oil. Now use various cleanup methods to try to remove the oil from the water. We tried spooning it out, using cotton balls and feathers, paper towels, and a sponge. The kids decided the spoon is easiest, but they all take a long time.
The feathers were a disaster to try to use. This lead to a discussion about how birds get covered in oil and it is hard to clean them. It also gets stuck in animal fur. Soap is often used to do this. We tried washing the feathers with soap. It was messy, but did get it clean.
Over all the oil spill clean-up experiment was a great project to do with the kids. They learned a lot and really enjoyed the experience. I hope you’ll add this resource to your lesson plan!
Extend the learning by studying about the 2010 Gulf of Mexico oil spill when 4.9 million barrels of petroleum spilled into the Gulf. There was an explosion on board the ship which also killed 11 men. It was really a huge tragedy.
Try More Earth Day themed activities:
Water Filtration Experiment
How to Make a Solar Still
Leaf Transpiration Experiment
Earth Fractions ~Earth Day Math
This post is part of the Storybook Science Series hosted by Inspiration Laboratories . Hop on over there to see the posts from other bloggers.
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Former school teacher turned homeschool mom of 4 kids. Loves creating awesome hands-on creative learning ideas to make learning engaging and memorable for all kids!
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One comment.
I am using this experiment for a presentation on oil spills with a group of seniors. I am adding a boom & skimmer and talking about some of the chemistry, but I would not have had this idea if it wasn’t for you ☺ Thanks!
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Hands On Ocean Oil Spill Clean Up Experiment for Kids
Teach your child, or students, about the consequences of oil spills in our oceans, with this oil spill clean up experiment for kids . A great introduction to environmental science experiments for kids .
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We love book inspired activities. Over the years books have inspired the food we eat, the gardens we grow and so many crafts. This week we are taking inspiration from a book to explore the environment and science.
After reading the book " Harriet's Home at the Sea " by Evelyn Wang, we were inspired to create our own oil spill clean-up experiment. When Harriet's ocean community is impacted by an oil spill, how can she possibly help? What could we do to help clean up an oil spill?
Our oil spill experiment began with a discussion about the consequences of an oil spill on the environment. We discussed how oil can hurt birds, making it so that they cannot fly or swim. We discussed the negative impact an oil spill can have on the shoreline habitat of many plants, animals and fish. Birds and animals nest and live in the marshy shoreline and the oil can destroy their homes.
If they can't nest then there won't be another generation. We thought about the plants in the water and on the shore and that the oil can hurt as well. These are a few of the negative impacts of an oil spill on the environment. So, we determined that the most important thing was to stop the oil from spreading and reaching the shoreline.
Following our discussion, we made the hypothesis that we wanted to test in our science experiment. We came up with three possible tools to help clean up an oil spill - absorb, remove or clean. We put our ideas to the test.
Oil Spill Clean Up Experiment for Kids
green modelling clay water large container ( 9" x 13" glass cake pan ) cooking oil (we used olive oil) ocean toy animal cheesecloth dish soap spoon
First, inside of a large glass cake pan we created our environment. The girls used the green clay to make landmasses in our large container. We were trying to create a space with land and water...as our oil spill would take place on the water.
We then poured in an inch or two of water. Then it was time for the oil spill. We poured about 2 tablespoons of olive oil into the centre of the water and observed the oil for a few minutes. The oil slowly spread across the water.
When we placed our animal in the oil, it was immediately covered in oil and the oil started to spread even further. We reached in and pulled the animal out of the oil. Our little animal was coated in oil. After only being in the water for a few moments - it was already covered in oil.
We rinsed the animal with running water, but he was still slippery. So, we had to use dish soap to totally clean our little animal. When we set our animal down to dry, it was time to tackle cleaning up the oil in the water.
Absorption - We started our clean-up with a piece of cheesecloth. We thought the cheesecloth would absorb the oil. While it did absorb the oil, it also spread the oil further around the container. The oil started heading for the shoreline.
Removal - Next, we tried to scoop out the oil with a spoon. We thought this would be a good way to remove the oil. It was really hard to scoop the oil since the oil kept moving whenever the spoon got close to the oil. The oil was spreading even further as the spoon disturbed the oil.
Clean - Finally, we tried to use dish soap to actually clean the oil out of the water. The dish soap did move the oil, but it took a LOT of dish soap to move the oil. We thought that maybe the impact of the soap would be as bad as the oil if we needed to use so much of it.
So, what were our oil spill experiment observations ?
- the cloth did a pretty good job absorbing the oil
- the spoon was helpful as well but disturbed the oil
- the soap didn't really help and it meant we added more chemicals to the water
How to clean up an oil spill in the ocean?
After doing a little online research we learned that absorption and removal are the approaches that are used when dealing with actual oil spills in our environment. Scientists are working on some very cool inventions for oil spill clean-up. For instance, using milkweed to absorb oil and using floating vacuum cleaners to remove the oil .
Commonly, the first step in cleaning up an oil spill is to contain the oil and stop it from reaching the shoreline. The shoreline is a vulnerable environment, often housing plant life and animal life that can be destroyed by the oil. Boats will tow large booms around the oil spill, containing the oil. Then a skimming device will be used (much like our spoon) to remove as much oil as possible.
Depending on what the spill is made from, they will even burn the oil to try and remove it from the water. Imagine burning oil in the ocean!?
Finally, much like our soap when they have removed as much of the spill as possible they will add a chemical to the oil patch and it will help to disperse the remaining oil. That's a whole lotta work to clean up an oily mess in the ocean.
What household items would you try to use to clean up an oil spill? An oil spill experiment would make a great science fair project for kids . If you try your own experiment, share how the results of your oil spill experiment in the comments below. I'd love to know what conclusions you came to.
Today's post is part of the Storybook Science series being hosted by Inspiration Laboratories. The theme this week is EcoSystems and the Environment. Head over and check out all the amazing books, activities, crafts and experiments being shared.
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Jen Farr is a mother living in Toronto, Canada. She has been sharing her DIY crafts, recipes, activities and parenting advice for over 15 years on her blog Kitchen Counter Chronicle. Jen is the mom of 2 lovely daughters. She believes in the power of taking small steps that can make big impacts on the world.
Reader Interactions
Trisha @ Inspiration Laboratories
March 28, 2016 at 1:55 pm
This is a great way to show how oil affects marine life. It's really hard to clean up. We haven't read Harriet's Home at Sea, so we'll need to add to our reading list!
[…] with an oil spill clean up. Does absorbing, removing, or cleaning work best? What happens if you put a feather in the oil? Is […]
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Want to contribute?
Cleaning oil spills.
To replicate the effects of an oil spill and apply an effective system to clean it up.
Additional information
- Boats equipped with skimmers designed specifically for skimming oil from water surfaces
- Dispersants, a special chemical that works like a detergent to help break up oil so that bacteria and other natural organisms in the ocean can digest it
- Burning off the oil (which in itself leads to other environmental concerns)
- Sorbents that are used to soak up the oil
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Required materials.
- Small piece of aluminum foil
- Vegetable oil (or other suitable cooking oil)
- Deep baking dish
- Several cotton balls
Estimated Experiment Time
About 15 minutes
Step-By-Step Procedure
- 1. Pour water into the baking dish so it's about 1/2 full
- 2. Shape the piece of foil into a small canoe or boat, roughly the size of your thumb.
- 3. Fill your canoe with the cooking oil and place it on top of the water in the baking dish
- 4. When you want to create your "oil spill", tip the canoe over
- 5. Wait a few minutes as the oil contaminates the water and begins to spread
- 6. Now it's time to clean up the mess. Use your cotton balls to soak up the oil by placing the cotton over the contaminated areas.
You'll find it will take a LOT of cotton balls to soak up that small amount of oil that was spilled into the water. Imagine the effect of millions of gallons of oil being spilled into the ocean and how much effort would be required to "absorb" it all.
Observation
You'll note that the oil stays on the surface of the water and begins to dissipate at an almost exponential level. If you were to mimic rough waters, the oil would spread at a greater pace. What other methods to you suppose we could have used to clean up this spill? What do you think would be the hardest to clean up in the case of an oil spill, an ocean, lake, or river?
The cotton ball fibers absorb the oil from the water, but also take a lot of water along with it. The number of cotton balls required to clean up that small amount of oil is staggering! If you were to try to clean the spill with something such as a ladle (to replicate skimming) you'd find you'd have even greater difficulty cleaning it.
Take a moment to visit our table of Periodic Elements page where you can get an in-depth view of all the elements, complete with the industry first side-by-side element comparisons!
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COMMENTS
Table 1. In your lab notebook, make a data table like this one for each sorbent you want to test. Fill in your data table (in the top left corner) with the actual name of the sorbent you are testing. Pour 3 cups of water into the liquid measuring cup. Slowly add 1 cup of vegetable oil.
Experiment #2 - Cleaning up an oil spill with skimmers. Now we have an oil spill, we need to clean it up! First, let's try various types of skimmers. Have the students use absorbent skimmers like sponges, make up remover pads, paper towels, etc. Record the effectiveness of each type.
Step 2 - Oil Clean Up. Pour enough water into the tray so the surface is completely covered and the tray is about half full. Carefully drop two tablespoons of oil onto the surface of the water. Experiment with the absorbent materials to discover which cleans up the oil spill the best.
Part of the problem of managing oil spills is that the oil can be challenging to clean up. In this science activity, you can test the absorptivity of different materials (called sorbents) to discover which ones are best at removing oil from water. This activity is not recommended for use as a science fair project.
Method. Scientific Method. Time Required. Average (6-10 days) Science Buddies is committed to creating content authored by scientists and educators. Learn more about our process and how we use AI. *Note: For this science project, you will need to develop your own experimental procedure. Use the information on this page as a starting place.
Learn about the impact oil spills have on the marine ecosystem, then get hands on with an oil spill cleanup experiment. Explore oil spills, oil spill cleanup...
Oil Spill Science Projects. Do you want to turn this oil spill experiment into a science fair project? Check out these helpful resources below. Science Project Tips From A Teacher; Science Fair Board Ideas; Easy Science Fair Projects; Turn this science experiment into a fantastic presentation about the best oil spill clean up method along with ...
Measure out 6 tablespoons of oil into a separate small bowl or cup. You may need more or less depending on how many clean-up methods you would like to test, but this is a good starting point. Add to the oil 3 teaspoons of cocoa powder. Again, you may need more or less depending on the amount of oil used, but keep a ratio of ½ teaspoon of cocoa ...
This hands-on experiment provides students with an understanding of environmental issues. Students will try different methods to clean an oil and determine w...
The Science. This experiment teaches you how scientists actually clean up oil spills that happen in our oceans. The three methods that are routinely used are absorption, skimming, and dispersants. Scientist can absorb the oil by using giant sponges, to suck all of the oil out of the water. Scientists will also take out boats that have big bags ...
Learn about the polarity of water, use feathers and sponges to study the effects of crude oil on animal life and the environment, and try out real techniques that are used to clean up an oil spill (such as absorption and dispersion). Includes ideas for science fair projects. Ages 10 & up. Find out more >>>
This hands-on experiment provides students with an understanding of the issues that surround environmental cleanup. Student teams create their own oil spills...
The term oil spill usually refers to ocean spills, but they also occur on land. Today our oil spill clean-up experiment focuses on the ocean spills. The oil comes from off-shore drilling, from accidents with oil tankers in the ocean, or other large ships dumping or spilling their waste oils. Obviously something like this causes a major disaster ...
Then it was time for the oil spill. We poured about 2 tablespoons of olive oil into the centre of the water and observed the oil for a few minutes. The oil slowly spread across the water. When we placed our animal in the oil, it was immediately covered in oil and the oil started to spread even further.
3. Fill your canoe with the cooking oil and place it on top of the water in the baking dish. 4. When you want to create your "oil spill", tip the canoe over. 5. Wait a few minutes as the oil contaminates the water and begins to spread. 6. Now it's time to clean up the mess. Use your cotton balls to soak up the oil by placing the cotton over the ...
What is an oil spill? High School - Grades 10-12. P =Project E =Experiment. Identify which, if any, inorganic nutrient can be added to the environment of naturally occurring petrophilic (oil-degrading) microbes (namely a fungal strain, Penicillium; and a bacterial strain, Pseudomonas) in order to induce an increase in the rate at which oil ...
Set up oil spill stations, one for every 4 or 5 students containing: Tub filled with 2-3 inches of water. A few large rocks for an island. Set of habitat items. Set of cleaning tools. Cup of 3-4 tablespoons of oil. 1 paper towel for each student. Print out one worksheet per student.
Go Science Kids. 43. "Flip" a drawing with water. Light refraction causes some really cool effects, and there are multiple easy science experiments you can do with it. This one uses refraction to "flip" a drawing; you can also try the famous "disappearing penny" trick.
The 2024 Moscow Elementary School Science Fair is almost here! All Moscow students from kindergarten to fifth grade are invited to participate in the Science Fair. Students should select projects that match their interests and abilities. They should conduct research or experiments to explore a scientific question.
Check out cool science kits and toys: http://www.stevespanglerscience.comSee the full experiment here: http://www.stevespanglerscience.com/lab/experiments/oi...
Clean up the oil spill with a magnet. Repeat the following cleanup procedure for all three petri dishes, starting with the one above the column titled "No ferrofluid added." Open a clean plastic sandwich bag. Put the neodymium magnet in one of the corners of the plastic bag, as shown in Figure 5.
An oil spill off the coast of the Black Sea is at least 400 times larger than originally claimed, Russian scientists said Wednesday, citing satellite images. A Russian-Kazakh consortium said ...
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