Mr. Trot is teaching his students about the importance and the effectiveness of soap with this experiment. This is a great experiment to show students the idea behind how soap works. All you need is pepper, water, a plate, and soap!
Disclaimer: This a demonstration – not scientific proof. As noted by Mr. Trot, “this two important things: 1. that soap repels water, and 2. that water carries away dirt particles!”
The real reason for the experiment: “When the soap is added to the plate the surface tension changes and the pepper no longer floats on top. The molecules pull back from the soap is able to break down the surface tension of water. As the soap moves into the water, and the surface tension changes, the pepper no longer floats on top. The water molecules want to keep the surface tension intact so they pull away from the soap carrying the pepper flakes with them.” – Megan Sheakoski 2019
