MAKING rainbows with vinegar and a double helix from sweets were just some of the experiments Forth Valley College students completed recently.

Teaming up through Skype with their counterparts at Northern Ireland's South Eastern Regional College, they also created an eco system in a bottle and made environmentally friendly plastic.

All the experiments, completed by first year Access to Science students, were filmed and will now be used as a resource for primary schools and their pupils.

The Lab in an Envelope project was set up to nurture a greater interest in science among young people.

Sandra Bacon, a senior lecturer at FVC, said: "The students have been researching on the internet and have designed a series of experiments to ignite an interest in science among primary school pupils.

"We want to encourage schools to replicate these experiments with materials that can be found in a regular kitchen and we are sure the pupils will have fun learning about science.”

Jedd Hoggan, a FVC student from Alloa, added: "It has been a great experience working in our groups on this as we don’t often get a chance to do that on the course.

"Personally, I think that science should be taught in schools at a younger age than it is now and these experiments can help to do that."