You Can See Convection Currents Using Coloured Crystals

Question 1

What do you first with the crystals?

Answer 1

Place purple potassium per a gate crystals in a beaker or cold water - aiming to put them on one side

Question 2

What do you do second?

Answer 2

Use a Bunsen burner to gently heat the side of the beaker with the crystals

Question 3

As the temp of water around the potassium permanganate crystals increases…

Answer 3

They begin to dissolve, forming a bright purple solution

Question 4

How is this purple solution carried through the water and, in doing so, show?

Answer 4

By convection, and so traces out the path of the convection currents in the beaker