Science Corner Investigation: Mirrors

January 13, 2011

Gordon Goreby: Gordon Gore

Mirror Investigation #1

You Need

2 small, flat plastic mirrors, with suitable vertical supports, 1 piece of plain white paper, letter size

What to Do

1. Hold the mirror vertically. Look into the mirror. Touch your right ear. Watch what the good-looking person in the mirror does. Which ear does he or she seem to touch?

2. Write your first name on a piece of paper. Look at your writing in the mirror. What is ‘unusual’ about what you see? Write your name so that it looks ‘right’ in the mirror.

ambulance3. Notice how AMBULANCE is written.  Why is it always written this way on the front of the emergency vehicle? Read the rest of this entry »

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Posted by Tami O'Connor

No-Pop Bubbles!

December 3, 2010

Ron Perkins, Educational Innovationsby Ron Perkins

At first glance No-Pop Bubbles may seem like any other bubbles.  While the bubble solution is a bit more viscous, one blows No-Pop Bubbles like any other bubble.  The small bubble wand suspends a bubble film which, when air is blown through it, releases small bubbles into the air.

These bubbles, however, are no ordinary bubbles.  No-Pop Bubble solution begins as a regular soap and water bubble solution.  Added to this solution is a small amount of a non-toxic water soluble polymer.  When No-Pop Bubbles are first blown, the bubbles behave like ordinary bubbles.  As the water evaporates from the bubble’s surface, however, an extremely thin plastic ‘bubble skeleton’ remains.  It is this plastic bubble skeleton which has the properties for which No-Pop Bubbles are named. Read the rest of this entry »

6 Comments | Chemistry, density, Elementary level, experiments, High School level, Middle School level, static electricity | Tagged: , , , | Permalink
Posted by Tami O'Connor

The Fire Syringe!

December 1, 2010

Tami O'Connor, Educational Innovationsby:  Tami O’Connor

The fire syringe sold by Educational Innovations is a wonderfully simple, yet impressive and dramatic demonstration that increasing pressure on a gas increases its temperature. Fire Syringe Demo

The fire piston, predecessor to the fire syringe was once used as a means of kindling fire in prehistoric Southeast Asia and the Pacific Islands. The apparatus used a hollow cylinder, sealed at one end and open on the other. A piston fit snugly in the cylinder and by sharply compressing the air, the tinder would ignite. This is an example of compression ignition.

This is also the principle behind a diesel engine.  Unlike gasoline engines, diesel engines do not have spark plugs.  Rather, the upward movement of the piston compresses the fuel vapor and increases the temperature to the point of combustion.  That forces the piston down thus turning the drive shaft.

Here is how best to operate a fire syringe:

Place the piston into the mouth of the cylinder and thread the collar back onto the syringe.  Place the syringe on a sturdy table.  Get a firm grip on the handle and force the piston straight down, FAST AND HARD.  The compression of the air causes the temperature of the gas to rise rapidly, igniting the material at the base of the cylinder.  If the compression is done too slowly the heat will dissipate before ignition will occur.  This can take a little practice, so don’t be discouraged if it doesn’t flash the first time you try it.  It may be helpful to prepare a few pieces of toilet paper or cotton fiber in advance. Read the rest of this entry »

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Posted by Tami O'Connor

What Is That Stuff? An Instant Snow Polymer Lab

November 3, 2010

Elaine Kotlerby: Elaine Kotler

I created a lab using the Instant Snow Polymer (Sodium Polyacrylate) from Educational Innovations that I use in my 8th grade Physical Science Class as well as Summer School Programs that I teach for grades 4-9.  This lesson incorporates concepts of Conservation of Mass, Properties of Matter, Metric Measurement and Conversion, and Observation Skills.  The lab, as I give it to the students, is listed below.

Each student receives an empty baggie to be used for comparison, a baggie containing 12 grams of Instant Snow Polymer, use of a balance and a graduated cylinder.

I have already explained the Law of Conservation of Mass, and Density (they need to remember that the density of water is 1 g/ml, or look it up) prior to introducing this lab activity.  However, they do not know the terms exothermic, endothermic, hydrophobic or hydrophilic.  My students are allowed to look them up, but unless they make careful observations as they are conducting the experiment, they won’t be able to answer the questions later.

The final question “What is That Stuff?” garners some interesting answers. Some recognize a use for it as snow for ski slopes; others have suggested material for ice packs.  One suggestion was to use the powder to help clean up and absorb spills. Read the rest of this entry »

3 Comments | Chemistry, Elementary level, experiments, High School level, Middle School level | Tagged: , , , , , , , , , | Permalink
Posted by Tami O'Connor

Simple Conservation of Mass Activity

October 5, 2010

Lee Walkerby: Lee Walker

When we are doing a Partnership for Learning.com Science Adventure on phases of matter we like having this conservation of mass experience in the bag of tricks. It can be done in minutes and is extremely reliable. All you need is the simplest (and least expensive) OHAUS classroom balance from Educational Innovations, the Ice Melting Block set from Educational Innovations, a pair of wire cutters and some paper clips, (just in case you need to whip up some mass bits of less than a gram) and a nicely formed ice cube. We like to use the aluminum blocks and O-rings from two of the Ice Melting Block sets just to simplify the balancing and have found that having more than one set of the blocks is good for the original activity anyway.

Here we go……. Read the rest of this entry »

Leave a Comment » | Chemistry, College level, Elementary level, experiments, High School level, Middle School level, Physics | Tagged: , , , | Permalink
Posted by Tami O'Connor

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