The Physics of Fake Blood

How can physics help you mix up the ickiest fake blood to gross out your friends this Halloween? Head to the kitchen to find out!

In this week's physics-based family science activity (posted at Scientific American), families get a chance to mix up something icky, gross, and gory—fake blood.

Perfect for Halloween week, this activity lets kids explore how the viscosity of different ingredients relates to how realistic and effective fake blood will be. With a bunch of kitchen foods on hand, can you make a batch of fake blood that might pass as the real thing? What characteristics are important to consider? What ingredients work best and why?

Depending on your plans for dressing up for Halloween this year, this science exploration may be just what you need for your costume!

Making Connections

To explore related science concepts, see the following Science Buddies project ideas and activities:

• Blood Clotting to the Rescue: How to Stop Too Much Blood from Flowing
• Race Your Marbles to Discover a Liquid's Viscosity
• Crime Scene Science: Solve Mysteries by Investigating Drops
• See more Halloween science projects and activities

You Might Also Enjoy these Previous Entries:

• Spooktacular Halloween Science
• Pumpkin Power Project
• Halloween Robots
• Candy Color Chromatography
• The Physics of Fake Blood
• Wire Some Trick-or-Treat or Light-up Fun with Scratch and Raspberry Pi
• Halloween STEM Roundup
• Squash Power