NewsScience Sundays

Actions

Science Sundays: A Demonstration in Rainbow Density

Science Sundays: A Demonstration in Density
Posted
and last updated

Here in Kern County, crude oil is produced at different densities and oil refineries process crude oil into many different products. The physical characteristics of crude oil, like the one Chevron produces in Lost Hills, are refined relatively easily into a lighter oil to transport planes, trucks, and cars. But here in the San Joaquin Valley, the majority of oil that Chevron produces is actually heavy, meaning it has a higher density.

Heavy oil is made into useable products through more complex refining processes. Heavy oil molecules become the building blocks for everyday products like wax candles, reusable water bottles, basketballs and footballs, plastic lenses for glasses, and even clothing to name a few.

So let's join our friends at Chevron for this week's Science Sunday and a demonstration in density. For this demonstration, you'll need light corn syrup with red food coloring, blue dish soap, water with green food coloring, canola oil, and rubbing alcohol.

Science Sundays: An experiment in density

Here is a more advanced lesson in chemistry for our older students.

,

Weather

Daily Forecast

View Hourly Forecast

Day

Conditions

HI / LO

Precip

Monday

04/21/2025

Sunny

87° / 58°

1%

Tuesday

04/22/2025

Mostly Sunny

88° / 58°

0%

Wednesday

04/23/2025

Sunny

85° / 54°

0%

Thursday

04/24/2025

Partly Cloudy

79° / 53°

0%

Friday

04/25/2025

Mostly Sunny

73° / 50°

1%

Saturday

04/26/2025

Partly Cloudy

68° / 50°

9%

Sunday

04/27/2025

Mostly Sunny

71° / 52°

4%

Monday

04/28/2025

Sunny

78° / 56°

1%