Monday, November 15, 2010

Science Fun...

"Sucking An Egg In A Bottle- Science Experiment

What You Need:

1 hard-boiled egg, peeled
1 long-necked bottle
3 matches
Demonstrates Science Category: Physics (Thermodynamics)
What To Do:

1) Hard boil an egg and allow to cool. After the egg cools, peel off the shell.
2) Place a long-necked bottle on your kitchen table (or any table free from flammable debris)
3) Have an adult light 3 matches and place in the bottle (all matches at once, not one at a time)
4) Quickly put the egg on top of the bottle opening


3 minutes

Demonstrates scientific principles:

The matches heats the air, which causes it to expand. When the matches extinguish, it causes the air to contract as it cools. A lower pressure is created within the bottle, than on the outside. The pressure outside the bottle causes the egg to get sucked into the bottle.

Heat causes most solids and liquids to expand, and cooling causes them to contract. Atoms or molecules within the solids vibrate more quickly with the increased heat. This causes the solid/liquid to become larges, and when cooled, become smaller.

Make a Battery From a Piece of Fruit

Category: Chemistry
Materials Needed:

* One Lemon, Lime, Orange or Grapefruit
* One Two Inch Copper Nail
* One Two Inch Galvanized Nail
* One Two Inch Christmas Tree Light Bulb
* Electrical Tape
Have your kids start this project by rolling the fruit around on the table to soften it up. This gets the juice flowing inside the fruit without breaking the skin of the fruit. Once the fruit seems softened insert each of your nails in the fruit exactly two inches apart. Do not push your nails all the way through your fruit.

After you have placed your nails in your piece of fruit you will need to prepare the light bulb. Do this by removing about one inch of the lights insulation from the bulbs leads. Take one of the leads and attach it to the galvanized nail and another lead and attach it to the copper nail. Once you attach the second lead the bulb will light up. You can secure the leads to the nails with the electrical tape.

After your fruit battery has lit the bulb explain how this is possible to the children. Tell them that the acid in citrus fruits conducts electricity. You can use a multimeter if you have one to measure the current that the fruit battery is producing. You can also vary this experiment by trying different fruits and seeing which fruits produce more current.

Music And Plants
Experiment: What effect does music have on plant growth?
Category: Plant Science
Ages: Elementary, Middle School

One simple science project is to see what sort of effect music has on plant growth. To do this, all you need is three of the same type of plant. Try to find three that are fairly identical in shape and size, two CD players, a Rock and Roll CD, a Classical music CD and some masking tape and a marker. Once you have your three plants, put a piece of masking tape on each one and label them; Classical, Rock & Roll, and Quiet.

Then place them in three separate rooms. In the first room, set up one of the CD players and put the rock and roll CD in the player, turn it on and place the plant next to it. In the second room do the same, set up a CD player, put the classical music CD in, turn it on and place the second plant next to it. Place the third plant in a quiet room by itself.

Water each plant daily, just be sure not to drown them, and after one week record the results; how each plant is doing. Wait another week (watering the plants daily) and record how well the plants are doing again

Simple Science Projects



One of the most simple science projects is also an old classic.

Grow your Own Crystals
Category: Earth Science>Geology
Ages: Elementary, Middle school

Growing crystals is fun and easy. Younger children in particular love simple science projects like this because they can do most of the work on their own. Plus, science projects that yield a finished product they can keep make projects like this even more enticing.

I recommend these printable science project plans for K-12 for hundreds of great project blueprints and this step-by-step guide for doing an award winning science fair project. Also be sure to check out these fun science kits as a fast, simple way to get started on your science experiment.

A Fun Zone

Materials Needed:
Epsom Salt
Water
Pie Pan
Measuring Cups
Mixing Bowl
Sponges
Food Coloring


To begin this project you will need to boil water. This should be done by an adult or under adult supervision. While the water is boiling have the kids cut their sponges in small pieces or shapes of their choosing. Have each child place their sponge pieces in their own pie dish with a small separation between each piece of sponge.

Once the water is boiled have each child mix one fourth cup of Epsom salt with one half cup of water. Do this part in a separate mixing bowl. When the Epsom salt and water are mixed the children can all add their choice of food coloring to their mixture. Make sure they only add a drop so they don't throw off the balance between the water and the Epsom salt.

After they have colored their mixture each child can pour the mixture evenly over each of their sponge pieces. Once they have done that they should carefully place their pie dish on the windowsill or in another sunny location. The crystals will form as the water dissolves from the mixture. This will take several days. Have the children chart the progress of the crystal formation.

The great thing about simple science projects such as this one is that you can change them up and make the outcomes different. This can be done by using different shapes of sponge . You can also take the sponge out of the equation and just fill the bottom of the pan with water. Another fun spin on this would be to do an experiment with and without the sponge at the same time."

http://www.easy-kids-science-experiments.com/simple-science-projects.html

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