A Cool Drink: An Introduction to Concentrations

This Activity is a simple yet effective participatory event that uses powdered drink mix (Kool-Aid) in varying solutions to demonstrate different concentration levels to students. After performing a serial dilution, students then taste the solutions to gather further data by correlating concentration levels with their abilities to first discern the sweetness of the drink. A clear connection to how pollution levels are measured can be drawn by comparing ppm to recent EPA data on mercury levels. This Activity can also be used to discuss and calculate molarity in solutions as well.