Pancake Syrup Viscosity Experiment

I usually do this viscosity experiment using lots of different liquids such as water, oil, ketchup and treacle. This version is a special syrup filled investigation for pancake day!

The idea is that you record how long it takes different delicious pancake syrups to flow down a ramp. Thicker ( more viscous ) liquids will flow more slowly than thinner ( less viscous ) liquids.

Pancake Syrup Viscosity Experiment

You’ll need

Chopping board to use as a ramp

Stopwatch

Liquids to test – maple syrup, golden syrup, honey

Chalk or marker

Pancake Syrup Viscosity – Instructions

Mark a start and finish line on the ramp.

Pour the syrupy liquids down the ramp one at a time.

Start the timer as the liquid passes over the start line and stop when it passes the finish line.

Repeat for each test liquid.

Repeat three times for each liquid and calculate the mean value.

Snackable Science - viscosity Race — Ketchup version of this activity – taken from **Snackable Science**

Make the investigation a fair test

Keep the ramp at the same gradient.

Use the same amount of each liquid.

Only time between the start and finish line.

Make it large scale!

I made this giant ramp with cardboard and sticky back plastic ( contact paper ) for a school science fair a few years ago. It worked really well as we could wipe it clean in between different groups using it.