Bubble Basics

November 12, 2010

by: Michelle Bertke and Melanie Bunda

Bubbles are always a fun and interesting activity for kids of all ages.  However, bubbles are not only fun, they are also an excellent teaching tool for some abstract concepts such as air density, dissolved gasses, and air pressure.  Below is a collection of bubbly activities that highlight each of these topics. Educational Innovations offers a full line of wonderful bubble products!

Gravity Defying Bubbles

Different gasses have different densities.  The air around us is mostly nitrogen (N2) and oxygen (O2), which are both lighter than carbon dioxide (CO2).  When a heavy gas, such as CO2 is placed in a tank, it will sink to the bottom without mixing.  This can be achieved by placing a few blocks of dry ice in a large fish tank or clear plastic bin covered loosely with a lid and allowing them to sublime.  This will take several minutes. Always use caution when handling dry ice by using proper gloves and safety goggles.

Once full, blow bubbles over the surface of the tank.  When the bubbles reach the interface of the two gasses, they will float.  If you fill the tank with CO2 unnoticed, have the kids speculate as to why they think the bubbles didn’t reach the bottom, and what might be in the tank.

An alternative is to fill a balloon with CO2 by filling it with baking soda (or an alka seltzer tablet) and placing it over the opening of a bottle filled with vinegar (or water).  Lift the balloon so the contents spill into the bottle and react with the liquid, allow the balloon to fill from the reaction, twist and remove.  Use it to blow bubbles.  Compare these bubbles to those blown with regular air (use a fan, not your breath for best results).  Have students compare the two bubbles.  Which one falls faster? Which one floats longer? Read the rest of this entry »

Leave a Comment » | density, Elementary level, experiments | Tagged: , , , , | Permalink
Posted by Tami O'Connor

Science Never Sucks | Milk Bottle and Egg

May 27, 2010

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

One of my all time favorite air pressure activities is an oldie and a goodie!  It involves getting an egg into a classic, hard-to-find milk bottle, like the ones delivered to grandma’s door.  Unfortunately, some students (and some teachers) still think an egg can actually be sucked into a bottle.  As you probably know because the air pressure is greater outside of the bottle than inside, the better explanation is that the egg is literally pushed into the milk bottle.

Here is the explanation… The milk bottle and egg demo begins by placing two or three burning matches or a burning strip of paper into the empty bottle.  Then a shelled, moistened hard-boiled egg is placed on the mouth of the bottle.  The egg is clearly larger than the opening in the bottle.  The air inside the bottle begins to heat up and subsequently expands.  It is easy to notice the egg dancing around a bit as the air inside the bottle escapes around it.

Read the rest of this entry »

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

Density Activities With The W-Tube

February 12, 2010

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

The W-Tube is a device that was invented and developed by Ron Perkins, Chemistry and Physics high school teacher for 33 years and founder of Educational Innovations.  This amazing teaching tool was designed to have students in every grade level, kindergarten through high school, discover and gain a deeper understanding of concepts relating to density and air pressure.

In order to solve each puzzle, students need to have a basic understanding of density and air pressure.  Depending upon the grade level of your students, you may want to conduct a few experiments or demonstrations prior to having them attempt the W-Tube challenges on their own.  The following two activities do not utilize the W-Tube, however they will provide some younger students with the background knowledge necessary to successfully complete the W-Tube challenges.

This first activity is a valuable demonstration that shows that air takes up space.  Start by balling up a paper towel or tissue and affixing it to the bottom of a plastic cup using two-sided tape.  Invert the cup with the tissue inside and then push the plastic cup into a clear container of water so the cup is completely submerged.  Your students should be able to see that, although the air is somewhat compressed within the cup, the paper at the “top” of the cup remains dry. Read the rest of this entry »

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

Next Entries »