Science Experiments with Oranges

Doing science experiments at home or in the classroom can be easy-to-do, affordable, and fascinating! We’ve put together some science experiments with oranges that even children as young as preschool age will enjoy.

All “experiments” we tried were incredibly easy!

4 Science Experiments with Oranges

Science Experiments with Oranges – #1

Sink or Float? Any type of orange works for this experiment.
Step 1. Pour equal amounts of water into two containers.
Step 2. Peel one orange.
Step 3. Drop both oranges into water.
Step 4. Examine to see which orange floats.
Truth: the first time we tried this BOTH oranges sank. I’m still not sure why – but we tried a second orange and that one floated.

Science Experiments with Oranges –  #2

Which rots first? You only need one orange for this experiment.
Step 1. Peel orange and separate into equal parts.
Step 2. Label paper plates where you will keep your oranges.
Step 3. Leave oranges alone for 3-4 days.
Step 4. Observe & discuss what you discover.

Science Experiments with Oranges – #3

Will it rust? You need some type of metal. We used safety pins but you can use silver nails (which I couldn’t find)
Step 1. Drop 2 safety pins (or nails) into two different cups.
Step 2. Squeeze an orange into one cup covering the pin (nail).
Step 3. Pour water into the other cup covering the pin (nail).
Step 4. Leave alone for however many days you want. We did this on Friday and trashed it on Monday because the oj grew mold. Which would probably have been super fun to put under a microscope but I didn’t think about that until after I threw it out.
Step 5. See which pin (nail) rusted more.

Science Experiments with Oranges –  #4

Does orange juice freeze? If so, does it freeze at a slower, faster, or the same rate than water.

Measure out 1 cup each or water and orange juice

Mark the time on each of two paper cups.

Pour the orange juice in one cup and the water in the other.

Carefully place in the freezer.

Check it after 2 hours, what do you notice? (The water was 2/3 ice, 1/3 water. The orange juice had frozen, but was slushy. When we squeezed the  cup slightly, it loosened.)

Put it back in the freezer and check in another 4 hours. What do you notice?

Let it sit overnight in the freezer and check again.

Bonus Activity

Real Orange Candle
I saw this neat little project online and tried to replicate it to see if it was real.
Step 1. Cut an orange in half.
Step 2. Carefully gut out the orange – do not rip the peel.
Step 3. Cut the center of one orange out for the “top” (make sure this is not the side with the long center – aka “wick”)
Step 4. Pour EVOO into the half of orange peel that has the “wick”.
Step 5. Light it.
Truth: It took about 2-5 minutes before it would actually light. We honestly thought we messed the whole thing up. But, finally, it did light and stayed lit for 6 minutes before we blew it out!

Science is all around us. You really do not need a fancy expensive kit. You just need some time and a little curiosity! What do you have around your house that you can use for an experiment?