Add a wee bit of science to your St. Patrick's Day pranks and celebration with these fun chemistry projects.
1. Green Fire
Anne Helmenstine
Wasn't there green fire in Disney's 1959 movie "Darby O'Gill and the Little People"? If not, there should have been. Eldritch green fire screams Irish and St. Patrick's Day.
2. Dye Beer Green
Janis Christie, Getty Images
Use food coloring, not some weird chemical reaction. If you drink enough green beer, it could cause your urine to turn green. I imagine you might see even see leprechauns, though that would be from the alcohol, not the coloring.
3. Gold Pennies
Anne Helmenstine
Use chemistry to make your very own pot of gold by changing the color of pennies from copper to silver and finally to gold! Some say leprechaun gold vanishes before you can spend it. You can't spend this gold either, but that doesn't make the project any less fun.
4. Green Eggs
Anne Helmenstine
Eat fried green eggs for breakfast. They look a little strange, but most people would prefer it to cabbage and corned beef. Actually, this project uses cabbage juice to turn the eggs green, so it's highly appropriate.
5. Turn Your Urine Green
... or play a prank on someone else. If you drink enough green beer (or anything containing green food coloring) this can be one of the consequences. However, green food coloring is not the only way to color urine green.6. Turn Your Hair Green
The non-permanent way to achieve this is to use cosmetic hair spray. You can use chemistry to impart a lasting shade of green.7. Set a Leprechaun Trap
Anne Helmenstine
Make green slime and set it someplace tricky to try to catch a leprechaun! It's like a humane glue trap, right? Personally, I'll be highly surprised if you manage to catch a leprechaun using green slime, but it's worth a try.
8. Glowing Green Flowers
Anne and Todd Helmenstine
If you put green food coloring in a white flower's water, you can get a pretty green flower. It's also possible to apply a little chemistry know-how to make a glowing green flower for St. Pats.
