Oil Spill Cleanup Experiment

This is 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 this simple ocean pollution activity for younger kids.

This oil spill experiment asks the question: What are oil spills and what is the best way to clean them up?

YOU WILL NEED

• 2 Tin Pans
• Water
• Vegetable Oil
• Dawn Dish Soap
• Medicine Dropper
• Spoon
• Paper Towels
• Cotton Balls

Other options to explore 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 the cotton balls? The paper towels? How about the spoon or medicine dropper to scoop out the oil?

STEP 4: Lastly, try using the Dawn Dish Soap.

CLASSROOM TIPS

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 try 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?

Click here for your FREE Printable Ocean Activities.

WHAT IS AN OIL SPILL?

An oil spill is a form of pollution generally found in a marine ecosystem. However, oil spills can happen on land too. An oil spill occurs when oil leaks or spills into the water. Oil spills can also happen in rivers or lakes!

What causes an oil spill?

Oil spills are often caused by accidents, 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 and mammals as well as fish and shellfish. Oil coats the feathers and fur of marine life which leave 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

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).

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The oil is then broken up into tinier droplets and is no longer one big clump, it’s easier to remove!

The chemicals used to clean real oil spills work similarly to dish soap but on a bigger lever. You can read more about a variety of oil spill clean up methods here.

LEARN MORE ABOUT OUR OCEANS

• Beach Erosion Activity
• How Do Whales Stay Warm?
• Ocean Waves In A Bottle
• Ocean Acidification: Seashells In Vinegar Experiment
• Fun Facts About Narwhals
• Ocean Currents Activity
• Layers of the Ocean