Year 5 - Properties and Changes of Materials YEAR 6 - Animals, including humans
How to make edible fake blood
National Curriculum Learning Objectives: Y5 know that some materials will dissolve in liquid to form a solution … Y6 identify and name the main parts of the human circulatory system, and describe the functions of the heart, blood vessels and blood
Resources needed:
Cornflour Water Golden syrup A mixing bowl Red liquid food colouring Measuring jug Green liquid food colouring Spoons (teaspoons and tablespoons) Chocolate syrup (or cocoa powder) Kitchen scales
What to do:
1. If you are planning to eat your “blood” or put it near your mouth, make sure that your hands have been washed and that all your equipment and the surfaces you are going to work on are spotlessly clean.
2. Slowly mix about 100g of corn flour into 100ml of water. Add more water if needed.
3. Add 4 tablespoons (80ml) of golden syrup.
4. Add a teaspoon of chocolate syrup or cocoa powder.
5. Stir in 2 teaspoons of red food colouring and 1 or 2 drops of green food colouring.
You may need to adjust the amount of red and green colouring that you use to make it a realistic blood colour. You may also need to adjust the amounts of water, corn flour and golden syrup until you have the correct consistency. Your blood needs to be able to run and drip slowly!
Taste. Store in an airtight container and keep in the fridge.
What happens:
Don’t faint! It is not real!!!!
Commercial fake blood is expensive to buy and is not very tasty. By using a little kitchen chemistry you have made realistic looking fake blood that any vampire would be proud of.
Why does this happen?
Your blood looks red because when white (natural) light falls on it, the blood absorbs all the other colours (orange, yellow, green, blue, indigo and violet) except red which reflects into your eyes. The corn flour gives your fake blood a realistic glossy sheen and the chocolate syrup darkens it. Adding a few drops of green colouring removes the pinkish tinge of the red colouring. The golden syrup helps to make the right consistency.
What links can you make from this to everyday life?
Real blood looks a dark red as it takes the colour from the haemoglobin which is found in red blood cells. Haemoglobin contains iron. A lack of iron in our blood can lead to a health problem called anaemia.
Working scientifically how can you take this activity further?
Research and explore the properties of the materials you have used. For example corn flour can be used to make “obleck” which behaves both as a solid and a liquid.
Yolande Ifold (Primary Science Consultant)