Kimberly Scott Science

National Hot Chocolate Day is January 31st. What an excellent time to explore the science behind creating a good hot chocolate recipe.  Creating a delicious cup of cocoa involves understanding the science of solubility.  Solubility  is how well a substance dissolves in water. Each ingredient in hot chocolate behaves differently in water. Students can observe the properties of the hot chocolate ingredients by placing them in water at different temperatures. Any age can do this. Teachers can expand the discussion with older students. Instant hot chocolate powder is easy to make. All you need is water and the powder mixture. That powder contains the necessary ingredients to make the hot chocolate rich and creamy. Below is a description of the ingredients and how they behave in water. Cocoa powder is unique because it is only  soluble  in warmer water; even then, it only forms a temporary mixture . The image below shows cocoa powder in cold water versus hot water. Students are always surpr