Magnetic Bubbles

You can create your very own pet bubble that will follow you around just like your pet dog. With a little practice, you’ll be able to have a bubble follow you through out the house.

Materials:
1. 1 balloon
2. 1 bottle of bubble solution with blower
3. 2 kids.

Procedure:
1. Inflate the balloon and rub the balloon on the head of a lab partner or on a wool sweater in order to build up a static electricity charge.
2. Have a partner blow a nice, big bubble.
3. As the bubble begins to fall, bring your charged balloon near the bubble. As soon as the bubble begins to move toward the balloon, move the balloon further away so that the bubble doesn’t touch the balloon.

What’s happening?
Static electricity on the balloon is made up of electrons. Electrons are negatively charged particles that orbit around the nucleus of an atom. Bubbles are made of stretched out water molecules. Water molecules are positive charge. When you bring the negatively charge balloon near the positively charged bubble, the bubble is attracted towards the balloon. Don’t forget to give your new pet a name!

Blooming Crystals

Using simple household items, you can grow your own crystal garden.
Here’s what you need to do:

Materials:
1. (1) disposable plastic bowl
2. (1) disposable mixing bowl or cup
3. (1) cellulose kitchen sponge
4. (1) scissors
5. 4 tablespoons (T) salt
6. 2 T water
7. 2 T Mrs. Stewarts Liquid Bluing
8. 2 T ammonia

Procedure:
1. In your bowl, put several pieces of cut-up sponge. The more surface area you provide, the more crystals will grow.
2. In a separate bowl or cup, combine the 2 T salt, 2T water, and 2T Mrs. Stewart’s Liquid Bluing.
3. Pour this mixture over the base of sponges.
4. Gently add the ammonia.
5. Set the bowl in a quiet spot where it can remain undisturbed.
6. On Day 2, add two more tablespoons of salt.
7. On Day 3, add a few drops of food coloring to the bottom of the bowl (not on the sponges or crystals)

What’s happening?
The sponge absorbs the solution you mixed together. As the water evaporates, the molecules of other substances are too heavy to evaporate with the water and stay behind. These molecules become solids again and become the crystals. By the way, you may be wondering the purpose of the ammonia and the Mrs. Stewart’s – it the speed up the evaporative process.

Air Pressure Magic

The air all around us can help you perform a magic trick that will make your friends think you have amazing powers.

Materials
1. a glass with a smooth rim
2. water
3. an index card that covers the opening of the glass.

Procedure:
1. Do this experiment over a sink or wash tub. Fill the lass partly with water.
2. Place an index card over the opening of the glass.
3. Holding the index card in place, turn the glass upside down.
4. Remove your hand from the index card.

What’s happening?
If you have done the experiment correctly, the index card will stay in place over the mouth of the glass and the water will NOT pour out. The upward pressure of the air holds the index card in place.

Nature’s Thermometer

Did you know that crickets can tell temperature. Try this experiment and see.

Materials:

1. A evening when you can hear crickets chirping.
2. A stop watch or timer
3. A calculator (optional)

Procedure:
1. Count the number of cricket chirps per minute (try to count the chirps from one cricket)
2. Subtract 40. Divide that number by 4. Add 50. This will give you the temperature +/- 5 degrees F.

What’s happening?
Crickets chirp faster in warm weather. Someone really smart figured out a formula for matching the number of chirps with temperature.