My 11 year old daughter has to do a science experiment for school and i'm going to help her. I'm after something pretty awesome,don't want to make an erupting volcano or similar that everyone else always does. I've done a search on these forums and googled it,but only seem to be able to find lame experiments. Anyone have any ideas? (nothing too dangerous as it will be performed at school).
Instant ice? Might be hard getting ammonium nitrate though Thermite? Cannot think of much else that isnt dangerous and is more captivating than a model volcano
What is pretty cool is getting a big clear plastic bottles (5L or more) and putting in a little bit of metho. Swirl it round to coat the sides and pour out any excess. Drop a match in and you will get a suspended flame that will dance around for a few seconds. It is pretty impressive and works with other flammable liquids such as kero.
diet coke bottle+mentos...stand back Lots of vids on youtube http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=up1DoY8Cfwg&NR=1
My Fiancée is currently teaching science at the local primary school so she has a crap load of science experiment books. Is there a particular area of science that you're after? You can always get a model rocket which can be rather impressive.
Ever made a rocket with a plastic 2L soft drink bottle and a tiny bit of metho? I must post a thread on that one day. Tres cool. Back to the OP, there are lots of really cool science experiments, project or demonstrations that kids could do, possibly with adult assistance in some cases, that are quite safe if done sensibly and with parental guidance. But some things might not appear safe, so the school might not permit them. There are plenty of science experiments, projects or demos that kids could safely work on if the kids are sensible and overseen by an adult, but you should be willing to not give in to political correctness, fear of litigation, and not wrap the kids in cotton wool, and be willing to try something a little more exciting than the usual.
What about the tin with custard powder trick ? Get an empty milo tin, put a candle in the bottom. Cut a small hole for a piece of pipe in the side. Pile custard powder around the bottom of the candle. Light candle, put the lid on. Blow or force air through pipe on side to push custard powder into flame. Lid should blow off tin - very cool.
i was gonna suggest the erupting volcano, but thats a no-go. I suggest something that involves fire. water rockets are always good too
Cornstarch. Cheap, pretty simple, not at all dangerous, and really cool. EDIT: A homopolar motor would also be interesting. Just like cornstarch, they're extremely cheap, simple, and safe.
This water battery is really cool, though probably beyond the ability for most children to understand.
How about a DIY lie detector? http://www.jasonbradbury.com/jason_bradbury/2004/07/diy_lie_detecto.html http://www.sciencetoymaker.org/lieDetec/make.htm This works pretty good, I did something similar in Year 9 and although not perfect it's fairly accurate.
Dry Ice? I've used this with kindergarten and prep kids. Guaranteed to get lots of oohhs and aahhs... Cost may be an issue, generally $5/kg, and you would probably need 2-3kg. Learning part: Show the difference between ice and dry ice. Explain what it is made from and how. Then the fun bit: Coke bottle with (preferably) hot water and put a balloon over the top until it explodes. Detergent and hot water in a bottle/bucket (vary the outlet size to get different pressures, and hence effects) = lots of bubbles. Singing spoon...hold a spoon against dry ice and it vibrates. Put dry ice into a balloon and watch it inflate. Could have a jug of ice water and dry ice water and get them to taste it...the dry ice carbonates the water (but not bubbly because not done under pressure). Do not consume the dry ice though. Make sure you don't put it in a tightly sealed container, especially a closed Coke bottle...extremely dangerous! You can find other ideas on the internet.
Combine concentrated H2SO4 and Glucose to form a large charred black mass. Or perform some sort of oscillating chemical reaction.
Bubbles. Standard bubble mixture and a coat-hanger with knitting thread wrapped around it (purely to get some surface area and somethign not so smooth for the bubble mixture to grab on to) create a large bubble, and then put a match under it.. further fun, place a small ammount of bubble mixture on two childrens hands. Blow a bubble between their hands, and light that on fire. (kids always love that stuff). what fire is in terms of energy, talk about how bubbles hold together (the laymen version). Or, the absolute best I have seen in a while is manganese Dioxide (solid 2-3g), and a THICK heat resistant container with about 100ml of H2O2 (hydrogen peroxide). Add the solid to the liquid and dont put your head over the bucket. the product is RAPID oxygen formation and water, but because its hot, the H2O actually becomes steam, and makes a huge mysty cloud thing.
It really depends how concentrated your hydrogen peroxide is. Try this: either: a) Mix hydrogen peroxide (preferably 6-10%, 3% if that's all you can get) about 2:1 with dishwashing liquid in a large measuring cylinder or beaker. Do this within a large tray or outside. Now throw a little bit of solid KI into it. You can also use KMnO4 or MnO2, but they'll be messier. or: mix 6% H2O2 about 1:2 with metho or something, pour it into a suitable container, outside, and set fire to it. Now stand back and carefully throw a little bit of MnO2 or KMnO4 into the burning liquid. Or, add it before you ignite it, and then very carefully throw a match or something in to it.
