Have fun and learn more
Please ask your parents permission before trying any of these
experiments !
1. Chemical Reaction Generates Heat Experiment
Equipment needed: Thermometer, Jar, Steel Wool Pad, and Vinegar
Chemical reactions occur every day all around us. A chemical reaction
is a process where one type of substance is chemically converted to
another substance. The fire in your fireplace is for example a type of
chemical reaction. This experiment demonstrates a chemical reaction
that's fairly common all around us:
Instructions:
Put the thermometer in the jar and close the lid.
Wait about 5 minutes and write down the temperature.
Remove the thermometer from the jar.
Soak a piece of steel wool in vinegar for one minute.
Squeeze the vinegar out of the steel wool pad. Wrap the steel wool
around the bulb of the thermometer.
Place the thermometer and steel wool back into the jar and close the
lid.
Wait 5 minutes.
Now take a look at the temperature.
Questions:
What happened to the temperature?
Are you surprised that it the temperature rose?
Findings:
The vinegar removes any protective coating from the steel wool,
allowing the iron in the steel to rust.
Rusting is a slow combination of iron with oxygen. When this happens,
heat energy is released. The heat released by the rusting of the iron
causes the mercury in the thermometer to expand and rise.
Discussion:
Chemical reaction is a process in which one substance is chemically
converted to another. All chemical reactions involve the formation or
destruction of bonds between atoms (atoms, made up of protons and
neutrons in a central nucleus surrounded electrons, are the smallest
particle of a chemical element that can take part in a chemical reaction
without being permanently changed) . Chemical reactions include the
rusting of iron and the digestion of food. Most chemical reactions give
off heat. For example, chemical reactions that occur in digestion give
off heat that keeps our bodies warm and functioning. Chemists use
chemical equations to express what occurs in chemical reactions.
Chemical equations consist of chemical formulas and symbols that
show the substances involved in chemical changes. The chemical
reaction for the rusting of iron shows that four atoms of solid iron react
with three molecules of oxygen gas to form two units of solid rust.
Experiments demonstrate that iron and oxygen react in these
proportions in air at room temperature. Rust is the product, or result, of
the reaction. Iron and oxygen are the reactants. The reactants are the
substances that undergo chemical change.
2. Dancing Raisins
Equipment needed: Glass Jar, Carbonated Water, and Raisins
This experiment will look at the strange effects that Carbon Dioxide
can have on things.We will be using raisins to demonstrate....
Instructions:
Fill a glass or bottle half full of carbonated water.
Drop three or four raisins into the carbonated water.
Wait around for the show to begin...
Questions:
What happens?
Can you guess why the raisins bob to the surface?
Findings:
Carbonated water contains dissolved carbon dioxide (a heavy
colourless gas that does not support combustion, dissolves in water to
form carbonic acid, is formed in animal respiration and in the decay or
combustion of animal and vegetable matter, and is absorbed from the
air by plants in photosynthesis.) gas.
This gas will collect on the uneven surfaces on the raisins. When
enough gas has collected, it will actually lift the raisins to the surface
(kind of like little tiny parachutes) where the gas is then released into
the air. With the gas now gone, the raisins will sink back to the bottom
where the process begins again.
Discussion:
Carbonated water is produced by adding carbon dioxide gas to water
under pressure. The gas makes the water bubble and fizz.
3. Earth's Climate Experiment
Equipment needed: Two identical glass jars, 4 cups cold water, 10 ice
cubes, One clear plastic bag, Thermometer
Earth's Climate:
The Earth's climate has changed many times in the past. Subtropical
forests have spread from the south into more temperate (or milder,
cooler climates) areas. Millions of years later, ice sheets spread from
the north covering much of the northern United States, Europe and
Asia with great glaciers. Today, some scientists believe human beings
are changing the climate. How can that be?
Over the past few centuries, people have been burning more amounts
of fuels such as wood, coal, oil, natural gas and petrol. The gases
formed by the burning, such as carbon dioxide, are building up in the
atmosphere. They act like greenhouse glass. The result some experts
believe is the Earth heating up and undergoing global warming. How
can you show the greenhouse effect?
Instructions:
Take two identical glass jars each containing 2 cups of cold water.
Add 5 ice cubes to each jar.
Wrap one in a plastic bag (this is the greenhouse glass).
Leave both jars in the sun for one hour.
Measure the temperature of the water in each jar.
Findings:
In bright sunshine, the air inside a greenhouse becomes warm. The
greenhouse glass lets in the sun's light energy and some of its heat
energy. This heat builds up inside the greenhouse.
You just showed a small greenhouse effect. What could happen if this
greenhouse effect changed the Earth's climate?
Other Examples:
Another version of a greenhouse is what happens inside a car parked
in the sun. The sun's light and heat gets into the vehicle and is trapped
inside, like the plastic bag around the jar. The temperature inside a car
can get over 49 degrees Celsius.
4. Balloon Racers
Equipment needed: Balloons of different sizes, Sticky tape, 25 feet of
thin fishing line, Plastic drinking straws (one for each balloon), Some
heavy books, A tape measure, A pad of paper and pencil for writing
measurements and observations
Instructions:
Blow up each balloon, holding the end closed with your fingers so it
stays full. Get someone else to tape a straw to the middle of the
balloons. Let the air back out of the balloons.
Push the line through one of the straws with the front of the balloon
facing and bring the balloon and straw back to the other end (the
starting line).
Take the piece of fishing line and stretch it tight between the back of
two chairs spaced about 20 feet apart.
Tie the ends of the line to each of the chairs
Put some heavy books on the seats of the chairs to keep them from
tipping over.
Blow up the balloon as much as you can. Pinch off the end. Then let
go of the balloon. Measure how far it went along the fishing line.
Try another balloon of different sizes, or try the same balloon blowing
it 1/2 way full or 1/4 of the way full.
Measure how far the balloon travels.
Write down each of the balloons type (round, long, small, large) and
how much you blew it up (full, 1/2 way, 1/4 full, just a little) and how far
each of the balloons travelled.
Findings:
A law of physics says for every action, there is an equal and opposite
reaction. The force of the air escaping from the balloon and pushing
out the end forced the balloon to travel forward. This is the same
principle used in rockets. Yet, instead of air...the rockets use rocket
fuel.
The air you blew into the balloon became stored energy. When you
released the balloon's end, the stored energy became mechanical
energy moving the balloon.
Rather than flying all around the room, the straw and the fishing line
kept the balloon travelling in a straight line.
Discussion:
What balloons worked best: the long skinny ones or the round ones?
What happened when you blew up the balloon only half way or 1/4 of
the way?
Do you think air can be used for moving a car? What about moving an
astronaut in space? Can you think of other things that compressed air
can do?
.
experiments !
1. Chemical Reaction Generates Heat Experiment
Equipment needed: Thermometer, Jar, Steel Wool Pad, and Vinegar
Chemical reactions occur every day all around us. A chemical reaction
is a process where one type of substance is chemically converted to
another substance. The fire in your fireplace is for example a type of
chemical reaction. This experiment demonstrates a chemical reaction
that's fairly common all around us:
Instructions:
Put the thermometer in the jar and close the lid.
Wait about 5 minutes and write down the temperature.
Remove the thermometer from the jar.
Soak a piece of steel wool in vinegar for one minute.
Squeeze the vinegar out of the steel wool pad. Wrap the steel wool
around the bulb of the thermometer.
Place the thermometer and steel wool back into the jar and close the
lid.
Wait 5 minutes.
Now take a look at the temperature.
Questions:
What happened to the temperature?
Are you surprised that it the temperature rose?
Findings:
The vinegar removes any protective coating from the steel wool,
allowing the iron in the steel to rust.
Rusting is a slow combination of iron with oxygen. When this happens,
heat energy is released. The heat released by the rusting of the iron
causes the mercury in the thermometer to expand and rise.
Discussion:
Chemical reaction is a process in which one substance is chemically
converted to another. All chemical reactions involve the formation or
destruction of bonds between atoms (atoms, made up of protons and
neutrons in a central nucleus surrounded electrons, are the smallest
particle of a chemical element that can take part in a chemical reaction
without being permanently changed) . Chemical reactions include the
rusting of iron and the digestion of food. Most chemical reactions give
off heat. For example, chemical reactions that occur in digestion give
off heat that keeps our bodies warm and functioning. Chemists use
chemical equations to express what occurs in chemical reactions.
Chemical equations consist of chemical formulas and symbols that
show the substances involved in chemical changes. The chemical
reaction for the rusting of iron shows that four atoms of solid iron react
with three molecules of oxygen gas to form two units of solid rust.
Experiments demonstrate that iron and oxygen react in these
proportions in air at room temperature. Rust is the product, or result, of
the reaction. Iron and oxygen are the reactants. The reactants are the
substances that undergo chemical change.
2. Dancing Raisins
Equipment needed: Glass Jar, Carbonated Water, and Raisins
This experiment will look at the strange effects that Carbon Dioxide
can have on things.We will be using raisins to demonstrate....
Instructions:
Fill a glass or bottle half full of carbonated water.
Drop three or four raisins into the carbonated water.
Wait around for the show to begin...
Questions:
What happens?
Can you guess why the raisins bob to the surface?
Findings:
Carbonated water contains dissolved carbon dioxide (a heavy
colourless gas that does not support combustion, dissolves in water to
form carbonic acid, is formed in animal respiration and in the decay or
combustion of animal and vegetable matter, and is absorbed from the
air by plants in photosynthesis.) gas.
This gas will collect on the uneven surfaces on the raisins. When
enough gas has collected, it will actually lift the raisins to the surface
(kind of like little tiny parachutes) where the gas is then released into
the air. With the gas now gone, the raisins will sink back to the bottom
where the process begins again.
Discussion:
Carbonated water is produced by adding carbon dioxide gas to water
under pressure. The gas makes the water bubble and fizz.
3. Earth's Climate Experiment
Equipment needed: Two identical glass jars, 4 cups cold water, 10 ice
cubes, One clear plastic bag, Thermometer
Earth's Climate:
The Earth's climate has changed many times in the past. Subtropical
forests have spread from the south into more temperate (or milder,
cooler climates) areas. Millions of years later, ice sheets spread from
the north covering much of the northern United States, Europe and
Asia with great glaciers. Today, some scientists believe human beings
are changing the climate. How can that be?
Over the past few centuries, people have been burning more amounts
of fuels such as wood, coal, oil, natural gas and petrol. The gases
formed by the burning, such as carbon dioxide, are building up in the
atmosphere. They act like greenhouse glass. The result some experts
believe is the Earth heating up and undergoing global warming. How
can you show the greenhouse effect?
Instructions:
Take two identical glass jars each containing 2 cups of cold water.
Add 5 ice cubes to each jar.
Wrap one in a plastic bag (this is the greenhouse glass).
Leave both jars in the sun for one hour.
Measure the temperature of the water in each jar.
Findings:
In bright sunshine, the air inside a greenhouse becomes warm. The
greenhouse glass lets in the sun's light energy and some of its heat
energy. This heat builds up inside the greenhouse.
You just showed a small greenhouse effect. What could happen if this
greenhouse effect changed the Earth's climate?
Other Examples:
Another version of a greenhouse is what happens inside a car parked
in the sun. The sun's light and heat gets into the vehicle and is trapped
inside, like the plastic bag around the jar. The temperature inside a car
can get over 49 degrees Celsius.
4. Balloon Racers
Equipment needed: Balloons of different sizes, Sticky tape, 25 feet of
thin fishing line, Plastic drinking straws (one for each balloon), Some
heavy books, A tape measure, A pad of paper and pencil for writing
measurements and observations
Instructions:
Blow up each balloon, holding the end closed with your fingers so it
stays full. Get someone else to tape a straw to the middle of the
balloons. Let the air back out of the balloons.
Push the line through one of the straws with the front of the balloon
facing and bring the balloon and straw back to the other end (the
starting line).
Take the piece of fishing line and stretch it tight between the back of
two chairs spaced about 20 feet apart.
Tie the ends of the line to each of the chairs
Put some heavy books on the seats of the chairs to keep them from
tipping over.
Blow up the balloon as much as you can. Pinch off the end. Then let
go of the balloon. Measure how far it went along the fishing line.
Try another balloon of different sizes, or try the same balloon blowing
it 1/2 way full or 1/4 of the way full.
Measure how far the balloon travels.
Write down each of the balloons type (round, long, small, large) and
how much you blew it up (full, 1/2 way, 1/4 full, just a little) and how far
each of the balloons travelled.
Findings:
A law of physics says for every action, there is an equal and opposite
reaction. The force of the air escaping from the balloon and pushing
out the end forced the balloon to travel forward. This is the same
principle used in rockets. Yet, instead of air...the rockets use rocket
fuel.
The air you blew into the balloon became stored energy. When you
released the balloon's end, the stored energy became mechanical
energy moving the balloon.
Rather than flying all around the room, the straw and the fishing line
kept the balloon travelling in a straight line.
Discussion:
What balloons worked best: the long skinny ones or the round ones?
What happened when you blew up the balloon only half way or 1/4 of
the way?
Do you think air can be used for moving a car? What about moving an
astronaut in space? Can you think of other things that compressed air
can do?
.
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