Baking Soda & Vinegar Volcano

Use baking soda and vinegar to create an awesome chemical reaction! Watch as it rapidly fizzes over the container and make sure you've got some towels ready to clean up.

What you'll need:

• Baking Soda (make sure it's not baking powder)
• Vinegar
• A container to hold everything and avoid a big mess!
• Paper towels or a cloth (just in case)

Instructions:

1. Place some of the baking soda into your container.
2. Pour in some of the vinegar
3. Watch as the reaction takes place!

What's happening?

The baking soda (sodium bicarbonate) is a base while the vinegar (acetic acid) is an acid. When they react together they form carbonic acid which is very unstable, it instantly breaks apart into water and carbon dioxide, which creates all the fizzing as it escapes the solution.

For extra effect you can make a realistic looking volcano. It takes some craft skills but it will make your vinegar and baking soda eruptions will look even more impressive!

 

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Cut Ice Cubes in Half Like Magic

Speed up the melting process of ice with the help of a little pressure. Cut a piece of ice in half like magic while learning how the process relates to ice skating.

What you'll need:

• One ice cube
• A piece of fishing line with a weight (the heavier the better) tied to each end
• A container
• Some kind of tray to keep things from getting wet

Instructions:

1. Turn the container upside down and put it on the tray.
2. Place the ice cube on top of the upside down container.
3. Rest the fishing line over the ice cube so that the weights are left dangling over the side of the container.
4. Watch it for around 5 minutes.

What's happening?

The pressure from the two weights pulls the string through the ice cube by melting the ice directly under the fishing line. This is similar to ice skating where the blades of a skater melt the ice directly underneath, allowing the skater to move smoothly on a thin layer of water.

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Make a Tornado in a Bottle

Learn how to make a tornado in a bottle with this fun science experiment for kids. Using easy to find items such as dish washing liquid, water, glitter and a bottle you can make your own mini tornado that’s a lot safer than one you might see on the weather channel. Follow the instructions and enjoy the cool water vortex you create!

What you'll need:

• Water
• A clear plastic bottle with a cap (that won't leak)
• Glitter
• Dish washing liquid

Instructions:

1. Fill the plastic bottle with water until it reaches around three quarters full.
2. Add a few drops of dish washing liquid.
3. Sprinkle in a few pinches of glitter (this will make your tornado easier to see).
4. Put the cap on tightly.
5. Turn the bottle upside down and hold it by the neck. Quickly spin the bottle in a circular motion for a few seconds, stop and look inside to see if you can see a mini tornado forming in the water. You might need to try it a few times before you get it working properly.

What's happening?

Spinning the bottle in a circular motion creates a water vortex that looks like a mini tornado. The water is rapidly spinning around the center of the vortex due to centripetal force (an inward force directing an object or fluid such as water towards the center of its circular path). Vortexes found in nature include tornadoes, hurricanes and waterspouts (a tornado that forms over water).

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Blowing Up Balloons With CO2

Chemical reactions make for some great experiments. Make use of the carbon dioxide given off by a baking soda and lemon juice reaction by funnelling the gas through a soft drink bottle and in to your awaiting balloon!

What you'll need:

• Balloon
• About 40 ml of water (a cup is about 250 ml so you don't need much)
• Soft drink bottle
• Drinking straw
• Juice from a lemon
• 1 teaspoon of baking soda

Instructions:

1. Before you begin, make sure that you stretch out the balloon to make it as easy as possible to inflate.
2. Pour the 40 ml of water into the soft drink bottle.
3. Add the teaspoon of baking soda and stir it around with the straw until it has dissolved.
4. Pour the lemon juice in and quickly put the stretched balloon over the mouth of the bottle.

What's happening?

If all goes well then your balloon should inflate! Adding the lemon juice to the baking soda creates a chemical reaction. The baking soda is a base, while the lemon juice is an acid, when the two combine they create carbon dioxide (CO2). The gas rises up and escapes through the soft drink bottle, it doesn't however escape the balloon, pushing it outwards and blowing it up. If you don't have any lemons then you can substitute the lemon juice for vinegar.

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Design and Test a Parachute

Learn about air resistance while making an awesome parachute! Design one that can fall slowly to the ground before putting it to the test, making modifications as you go.

What you'll need:

• A plastic bag or light material
• Scissors
• String
• A small object to act as the weight, a little action figure would be perfect

Instructions:

1. Cut out a large square from your plastic bag or material.
2. Trim the edges so it looks like an octagon (an eight sided shape).
3. Cut a small whole near the edge of each side.
4. Attach 8 pieces of string of the same length to each of the holes.
5. Tie the pieces of string to the object you are using as a weight.
6. Use a chair or find a high spot to drop your parachute and test how well it worked, remember that you want it to drop as slow as possible.

What's happening?

Hopefully your parachute will descend slowly to the ground, giving your weight a comfortable landing. When you release the parachute the weight pulls down on the strings and opens up a large surface area of material that uses air resistance to slow it down. The larger the surface area the more air resistance and the slower the parachute will drop.

Cutting a small hole in the middle of the parachute will allow air to slowly pass through it rather than spilling out over one side, this should help the parachute fall straighter.

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