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Home » Chemistry for Kids: Penny Change Experiment

Chemistry for Kids: Penny Change Experiment

Published January 31, 2020 19 comments >>

This two-part chemistry experiment uses a household acid, vinegar, to clean copper pennies. Kids can observe the oxidation process as the copper in the pennies reacts with oxygen in the air to first form copper oxide and then malachite. Get your kids interested in STEM → science, technology, engineering, and math with this easy chemistry project!

Cool Science Experiments for Kids – Get your kids interested in STEM → science, technology, engineering, and math with these easy science projects using physics and chemistry. Create a glitter tornado, shine pennies then turn them green, and catch ice on a string using supplies you have around the house. Smart is the New Cool! #free printable #STEM #lesson plan

Science Lab Supplies

  • Free printable lab notebook with full instructions (download in the free printable library)

Cool Science Experiments for Kids – Get your kids interested in STEM → science, technology, engineering, and math with these easy science projects using physics and chemistry. Create a glitter tornado, shine pennies then turn them green, and catch ice on a string using supplies you have around the house. Smart is the New Cool! #free printable #STEM #lesson plan

The lab book contains three easy science experiments for kids and contains areas to record your notes and observations. You can print it on card stock or plain paper and assemble it with ring clips or staples. It would be perfect for a science party.

Cool Science Experiments for Kids – Get your kids interested in STEM → science, technology, engineering, and math with these easy science projects using physics and chemistry. Create a glitter tornado, shine pennies then turn them green, and catch ice on a string using supplies you have around the house. Smart is the New Cool! #free printable #STEM #lesson plan

Penny Change Experiment Supplies

Cool Science Experiments for Kids – Get your kids interested in STEM → science, technology, engineering, and math with these easy science projects using physics and chemistry. Create a glitter tornado, shine pennies then turn them green, and catch ice on a string using supplies you have around the house. Smart is the New Cool! #free printable #STEM #lesson plan

  • 3 dull or dirty looking pennies
  • 1/4 cup white vinegar
  • 1 teaspoon table salt
  • paper towel or cotton pad
  • small non-metal bowl
  • Small non-metal container with lid

Penny Change Experiment Instructions

Part 1 – Dull to Shiny

  • Pour the vinegar and salt into the small non-metal bowl and stir to dissolve.

Cool Science Experiments for Kids – Get your kids interested in STEM → science, technology, engineering, and math with these easy science projects using physics and chemistry. Create a glitter tornado, shine pennies then turn them green, and catch ice on a string using supplies you have around the house. Smart is the New Cool! #free printable #STEM #lesson plan

  • Put 3 pennies into the bowl for about 30 seconds.

Cool Science Experiments for Kids – Get your kids interested in STEM → science, technology, engineering, and math with these easy science projects using physics and chemistry. Create a glitter tornado, shine pennies then turn them green, and catch ice on a string using supplies you have around the house. Smart is the New Cool! #free printable #STEM #lesson plan

  • The pennies are now shiny and look new!  Take out the pennies and rinse them with fresh water. Place them on a paper towel to dry off.

Cool Science Experiments for Kids – Get your kids interested in STEM → science, technology, engineering, and math with these easy science projects using physics and chemistry. Create a glitter tornado, shine pennies then turn them green, and catch ice on a string using supplies you have around the house. Smart is the New Cool! #free printable #STEM #lesson plan

 

Penny Change Experiment Instructions

Part 2 – Shiny to Green

  • Fold a paper towel or cotton pad to fit the bottom of your container with a lid.
  • Wet the paper towel or cotton pad with a few drops of vinegar.
  • Put one penny on the wet pad and cover with the lid. (The lid keeps the vinegar from drying out.)

 

Cool Science Experiments for Kids – Get your kids interested in STEM → science, technology, engineering, and math with these easy science projects using physics and chemistry. Create a glitter tornado, shine pennies then turn them green, and catch ice on a string using supplies you have around the house. Smart is the New Cool! #free printable #STEM #lesson plan

 

  • Put one penny on a dry pad or paper towel.
  • Dip one penny in your salt/vinegar mixture and place it on a dry pad or paper towel.
  • Observe your pennies at 1, 2, 3 and 8 hours.

Cool Science Experiments for Kids – Get your kids interested in STEM → science, technology, engineering, and math with these easy science projects using physics and chemistry. Create a glitter tornado, shine pennies then turn them green, and catch ice on a string using supplies you have around the house. Smart is the New Cool! #free printable #STEM #lesson plan

Experiment Tip

Pennies made in 1982 or earlier are made of solid copper, use them in this reaction to make it work even better! Pennies made after 1982 are made from copper and zinc, they react a little less.

 

Experiment Follow-Up

Complete the lab notes section of the free printable lab notebook  (available in the free printable library) with your kids. Have them record their predictions and observations. Which pennies oxidized the most quickly? Why do you think this happened? Look at the back of the penny on the vinegar pad. What does it look like? Why?

Cool Science Experiments for Kids – Get your kids interested in STEM → science, technology, engineering, and math with these easy science projects using physics and chemistry. Create a glitter tornado, shine pennies then turn them green, and catch ice on a string using supplies you have around the house. Smart is the New Cool! #free printable #STEM #lesson plan

More Cool Science Experiments for Kids

Cool Science Experiments for Kids – Get your kids interested in STEM → science, technology, engineering, and math with these easy science projects using physics and chemistry. Create a glitter tornado, shine pennies then turn them green, and catch ice on a string using supplies you have around the house. Smart is the New Cool! #free printable #STEM #lesson plan

Make sure to check out my post about Cool Science Experiments for Kids, download the free lab notebook (available in the free printable library), and check out my Glitter Tornado &  Fishing for Ice projects.

Like my free printables ? Sign up for my newsletter below and never miss a thing!

BrenDId

 

Cool Science Experiments for Kids – Get your kids interested in STEM → science, technology, engineering, and math with these easy science projects using physics and chemistry. Create a glitter tornado, shine pennies then turn them green, and catch ice on a string using supplies you have around the house. Smart is the New Cool! #free printable #STEM #lesson plan

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Reader Interactions

Comments

  1. Ely

    November 28, 2020 at 11:29 pm

    What is the hypothesis of this experiment?

    Reply
    • Bren

      December 7, 2020 at 12:41 pm

      One possible hypothesis: If I expose clean pennies to oxygen in the air, then they will oxidize because they contain copper.

      Another possible hypothesis: If I expose pennies to an acidic substance such as vinegar, the acid will clean off the tarnish or copper oxide.

      Here are some great tips to write your own: https://www.sciencebuddies.org/blog/a-strong-hypothesis

      Reply
  2. Tina-ree Ferguson

    May 24, 2020 at 1:54 am

    very frustrated. I am trying to find the download for the penny lab notebook experiments and am going around in circles on your site trying to find it. Any help would be appreciated.

    Reply
    • Bren

      May 26, 2020 at 11:38 am

      Tina, it’s on the free printables page just scroll down to the Craft Printables section.

      Reply
  3. Suhi

    April 9, 2020 at 7:14 am

    Thanks, my 7 year old son enjoyed this! nice to have a fun experiment that required so little supplies and he was excited to check on the pennies at each interval! Thanks so much!

    Reply
    • Bren

      April 14, 2020 at 1:26 pm

      Thanks, Suhi! I’m glad your family enjoyed the experiment!

      Reply
  4. Johannah

    March 20, 2020 at 11:02 am

    Can you put more than three at once, and can you do this with other things that are solid copper?

    Reply
    • Bren

      March 24, 2020 at 11:22 am

      You can add as many pennies as you like, though it may slow the reaction time. I have not tried this with other metals. Let me know if you do!

      Reply
  5. Kim

    February 27, 2020 at 9:45 am

    What’s the real world application for this experiment?

    Reply
    • Bren

      March 3, 2020 at 10:33 am

      Kim, the experiment shows how tarnish forms on copper items (like the Statue of Liberty or copper pans) and how the tarnish can be cleaned away.

      Reply
  6. Anonymous

    February 4, 2020 at 8:54 pm

    Will it still work with Apple Cider Vinegar?

    Reply
    • Bren

      March 3, 2020 at 10:43 am

      Yes, it will still work because apple cider vinegar contains acetic acid.

      Reply
  7. Kaylee

    August 30, 2019 at 11:16 am

    How long do I keep the 2 pennies on the vinegar pad?

    Reply
    • Bren

      September 30, 2019 at 2:16 pm

      As long as you desire!

      Reply
  8. Amber Massengill

    June 6, 2016 at 3:47 pm

    Hi. I’m trying to find the free printable for the penny experiments. Is it still on your site and available to print?

    Reply
    • Bren

      June 6, 2016 at 4:46 pm

      Yes, it’s in the free printables library. http://Www.brendid.com/free-printables

      Reply

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