This project will show why camouflage is important to animals in the wild by using M&M's as "prey" and colored paper as their "habitats." Separate M&M's into groups by color. Place 20 pieces of each color (red, brown, yellow, orange and green) into a resealable bag, making a total of 100 candies in each bag. There will be six bags. Collect six sheets of paper, one of each color of M&M and one white piece. Prepare a chart with each color of paper down the side and each color of M&Ms across the top. Find a few friends to help with your project. They will be the "predators." Pour one of the resealable bags of candy onto a colored sheet of paper. Set the timer for 10 seconds. When time begins, the volunteers will eat the M&M's one at a time. When time is up, count the number of each color that are left and record the data on the chart. Repeat with each sheet of paper.
Test the slogan of M&M's candy, "Melt in your mouth, not in your hand," with this science project. Glue five M&M's of the same color in a circle in the middle of a paper plate. Make one plate for each color of M&M, for a total of five plates. Microwave the plates at 20-second intervals, observing the candy after each turn. On a chart with the color of M&Ms listed on the side, record your observations at each 20 second interval. To vary this project, use different methods to melt the candy, or try the experiment with all the varieties of M&M's candy to see if the melting points are different.
Choose several M&M's that have a clearly marked "M" on them. Place them in about an inch of warm water, "M" side up. Observe as the colored coating begins dissolving, and the colors settle to the bottom of the candy. Once the color has dissolved, a thin film that contains the "M" will separate from the chocolate and float to the top. Vary the experiment by using different temperatures of water, or stack the candies on top of each other in a small, clear vase to see if the colors will form a layer at the bottom of the vase. Make a hypothesis for the reason that the "M" layer floats to the top.
To determine the most efficient way of packing M&M's try this science project. Stack the candies in a methodical way into a small, rectangular box. Record the number of M&M's that will fit. Try different stacking methods, recording the results each time. After trying various arrangements, place handfuls of candy into the box randomly until it is full. Record this data as well and compare all the methods used. Repeat the procedure using different shaped containers or different candy. What happens when you fit M&M's into a round container? If you use jellybean-shaped candy, can you fit more or less into the box? Why?