scouting program resource pack - wordpress.com · a huge bravo and thank you the anu research...

2016

SCOUTS ACT AND ANU RESEARCH SCHOOL OF CHEMISTRY

SCOUTING PROGRAM RESOURCE PACK

SciScouts: Chemistry of Scouting Resource Pack 2


ABOUT SCISCOUTS

Scouting provides young Australians, aged 6 to 25, with fun and challenging opportunities to grow through adventure. This project will provide direct engagement with all participating Scouting members with science.

Programs like SciScouts encourage our youth members to collect information and build their curiosity, exploration, investigation and observation skills, aligning with the Scouting philosophy of building enquiring minds and exploring the natural world though Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics (STEM).

SciScouts: Chemistry of Scouting will be co-hosted by Scouts ACT and the ANU School of Chemistry on Saturday 13 August 2016 during National Science Week. The day will include a heap of hands-on activities and talks along the sub-themes of Environment, Health, Bushcraft and Biology.

For further details visit: www.scoutsact.com.au/sciscouts.

But wait, there's more! Don't stop having fun on the day, make sure you check out the fun hands-on program materials. There are some great ideas in this resource pack for activities to try during your weekly meetings before and after SciScouts 2016, as well several demonstrations for everyone to watch in amazement.

Whenever, running a science night encouraging your little scientists to think like a real scientist and consider the scientific method while having fun. They might like to take notes about the following questions:

1. When did you start the experiment?

2. What did you think will happen? What is your 'hypothesis'?

3. What happened during your experiment? Measure, draw, write down or take a photo of what happened.

4. Did things happen the way you thought they would? What did you learn?

Acknowledgements

A huge BRAVO and thank you the ANU Research School of Chemistry for hosting Scouts ACT for this huge outreach activity and to our project team led by Vance Lawrence (ANU Research School of Chemistry/Scouts ACT Southwell Scout Group) , Kate Lehane (Scouts ACT), James Lehane (Scouts ACT, Northern Region) and Kate O'Sullivan (Science Communicator). And to provide an extra national flavour, some wise advice from Assoc Professor Kieran Lim (Scouts Victoria/Deakin University).

Funding for this project was provided through a National Science Week grant supported by the Inspiring Australia Initiative, with additional support from the ACT National Science Week committee and invaluable in-kind support from the ANU School of Chemistry in the form of staffing, materials and expertise.

http://www.scienceweek.net.au/

http://www.scoutsact.com.au/sciscouts.html


SciScouts – The Chemistry of Scouting

Contents

ABOUT SCISCOUTS............................................................................................................................ 3

INTRODUCTION TO CHEMISTRY AND THE PERIODIC TABLE ............................................................ 7

AWARD SCHEMES ............................................................................................................................. 8

JOEY SCOUT AWARD SCHEME ..................................................................................................... 8

CUB SCOUT AWARD SCHEME ...................................................................................................... 9

SCOUT AWARD SCHEME ............................................................................................................ 11

VENTURER SCOUT AWARD SCHEME ......................................................................................... 12

SONGS............................................................................................................................................. 13

EXPERIMENTS ................................................................................................................................. 14

RAINBOW MILK .......................................................................................................................... 14

CORNFLOUR SLIME .................................................................................................................... 15

MAKE YOUR OWN SHERBET ...................................................................................................... 16

DISAPPEARING WATER .............................................................................................................. 17

KITCHEN INDICATOR - MEASURING pH..................................................................................... 18

EXTRACTING STRAWBERRY DNA ............................................................................................... 19

LAVA LAMPS ............................................................................................................................... 20

FILM CANISTER ROCKETS ........................................................................................................... 21

ACID OR BASE ............................................................................................................................. 22

THE VANISHING ACT .................................................................................................................. 23

CLIMBING COLOURS .................................................................................................................. 24

INVISIBLE INK ............................................................................................................................. 25

BATH BOMBS: SCIENCE WITH A BIT OF T.L.C. ........................................................................... 26

FEELING A LITTLE DENSE ............................................................................................................ 27

AN OILY PROBLEM ..................................................................................................................... 28

DEMONSTRATIONS ......................................................................................................................... 29

DIET COKE FOUNTAIN ................................................................................................................ 29

ORANGE PEEL BALLOON POP .................................................................................................... 30

ELEPHANT’S TOOTHPASTE ......................................................................................................... 31


INTRODUCTION TO CHEMISTRY AND THE PERIODIC TABLE

Chemistry is the study of matter and energy and the interactions between them. Chemistry and physics are specialisations of physical science. Chemistry tends to focus on the properties of substances and the interactions between different types of matter, particularly reactions that involve electrons. Physics focuses more on the nuclear part of the atom.

Understanding chemistry helps you to understand the world around you. Cooking is chemistry. Everything you can touch or taste or smell is a chemical. When you study chemistry, you come to understand a bit about how things work.

Find out more: http://chemistry.about.com/od/chemistry101/a/basics.htm.

The periodic table is organized like a big grid. Each element is placed in a specific location because of its atomic structure. As with any grid, the periodic table has rows (left to right) and columns (up and down). Each row and column has specific characteristics.

Explore an online interactive periodic table: http://www.ptable.com/

http://chemistry.about.com/od/chemistry101/a/basics.htm

http://www.ptable.com/


AWARD SCHEMES

JOEY SCOUT AWARD SCHEME

ADVENTURE CHALLENGE BADGE

The Adventure Challenge is designed to broaden each Joey Scout’s life experiences through visiting places to which the Mob doesn’t usually go. Some of the adventures could include a trip to the beach or a creek, a bushwalk, visiting a museum or a farm… the possibilities are endless! The Adventure Challenge is designed to broaden each Joey Scout's life experiences in the wider world. This is achieved through participation in visits to places not normally visited by your mob. The Adventure Challenge theme runs in conjunction with the aims, principle and educational methods of Scouting. It provides an excellent theme for fun and active Mob programs. Requirements for The Adventure Challenge are:

• Leaders Program and run two outings to places unusual to your Mob, getting Joey Scouts to take photos if possible.

• Leaders run an adventure program for the Mob • Have your Joey Scouts fill in the log sheets about their outings and The Adventure Program

Photos and articles could then be used to promote your Mob in the community Some suggested adventures include:

• A trip to the beach, creek or waterway. • A trip on public transport. • Visit a zoo, sanctuary or wetland. • Go for a bushwalk. • Visit a museum or historical site. • Visit a farm -sheep, dairy, orchard or market garden. • Go on a trip to the city. • Visit the Botanical Gardens. • Visit an unusual place in your local area. • So a visit to the Australian National University for SciScouts: The Chemistry of Scouting

would be perfect!


CUB SCOUT AWARD SCHEME

BRONZE BOOMERANG

9 - People and Cultures

Scouting

• Find out something about each of the five Sections in Scouts Australia, either in your own Group or in the District.

• Take part in an activity with a different Section - SciScouts!

10 - Scientific Discovery

Physics

• Explain the composition of air. • Perform an experiment that shows how oxygen can be used

up.

SILVER BOOMERANG

9 - People and Cultures

Scouting

• Take part in an activity with another Pack or one organised by District, Region or Branch - SciScouts!


Chemistry

• Perform an experiment that shows the difference between gas, liquid and solid states.

11 - The Natural Environment

Pollution

• Discuss some of the effects of pollution on our rivers, lakes and seas - water testing at SciScouts. • Show how you and your family can help to reduce water pollution.

GOLD BOOMERANG


Chemistry

• Perform an experiment that shows a chemical reaction - SciScouts!

• Explain what has happened.


SCIENTIST (LEVEL 1)

1. State the safety precautions you should take when you are working on an experiment - After SciScouts, Cubs should be able to explain what safety gear they need to wear, and the importance of listening to instructions.

2. List three different areas of science and explain what is studied in each area.

3. Perform an experiment that shows one of the following:

a. A simple chemical reaction - SciScouts!

b. A magnetic field

c. What a plant needs to grow - for ACT Cubs you might have done this for your Cub Commissioner's Year of Pulses challenge.

4. Find out about a famous scientist and how his or her work has affected the world.

SCIENTIST (LEVEL 2)

1. State the safety precautions you should take when working on an experiment.

2. List five pieces of equipment found in a scientific laboratory and, using illustrations, explain how the scientist may use them.

3. Do any three of the following and explain the steps to perform the experiment, what has happened and why:

a. Grow a crystal

b. Show the density of four different liquids - refer to the Lava Lamp or An Oily Problem experiments

c. Show how light reflects

d. Show how colours mix - refer to the Rainbow Milk experiment

e. Make an electrical circuit.


SCOUT AWARD SCHEME

SCIENCE PROFICIENCY BADGE

To gain the Science badge you must complete one task from each of A, B and C.

Show you have an interest in, have learnt about and have improved your knowledge in a field of science.

Range: physical, chemical science, medicine, biology, botany, zoology, entomology, veterinary science, geography, and geology.

A INVESTIGATE 1. Find out two harmful effects of insect sprays. 2. Explain what is meant by the ‘scientific method’. 3. Know the native birds and animals found in your area. 4. Research a special technique used by experimenters in the scientific field of your choice and be

able to explain why the technique is important.

B SKILL 1. Design a game that uses or tests scientific knowledge. 2. Know the standard circuit symbols for eight electrical components, e.g. capacitor, earth, etc. 3. Find the names of and be able to identify 10 native birds and 5 native animals found in your area. 4. Describe an experiment illustrating the use of scientific method. 5. Understand any dangers or safety requirements associated with a chemical experiment and an

experiment with laboratory animals. - After attending SciScouts, Scouts should be able to explain what safety gear they need to wear, and the importance of listening to instructions.

C ACTIVITY 1. Produce a game that uses or tests scientific knowledge. 2. Construct a rain gauge and wind vane and use them to record weather observations for two

weeks. 3. Explain how stalactites and stalagmites are formed. 4. Visit a scientific laboratory or place where research is carried out - for example SciScouts or

university Open Days.

OTHER WAYS TO MIX S.T.E.M INTO THE SCOUT PROGRAM

Other relevant Science, Technology Engineering and Mathematics (STEM) badges include the Fire Awareness proficiency badges and parts of the Environment Target Badges at Pioneer, Explorer and Adventurer levels. There is also quite a bit of STEM in the Campcraft Badges at Pioneer, Explorer and Adventurer levels.

Other badges that also have significant science components: Landcare Badge, World Conservation Badge, World Environment Badge. Scouts have considerable freedom in the choice of specific activities within the proficiency badges. Scouts could choose STEM-related activities for the following proficiency badges: Agriculture, Communication, Modeller, Technology.


VENTURER SCOUT AWARD SCHEME

PURSUITS (Venturer Level)

Scope

Encourage Venturer Scouts to develop existing interests or to undertake new recreational activities. The pursuit may be a hobby or something entirely new and may be followed individually or with a group.

Undertake a pursuit and understand the rules/safety requirements and skills involved in the pursuit. There are many possible pursuits that could be selected. Some common examples are given below. Interests are to be carried out over a period of ten hours over at least two months.

…or any other activity approved by the Unit Council.

PURSUITS (Queen Scout level)

Scope

Encourage Venturer Scouts to develop existing interests (pursuits) or to undertake new recreational activities. The pursuit may be a hobby or something entirely new and may be followed individually or with a group.

This could build upon the work done for the Venturer Award. If the same activity is used, it is essential that the Venturer Award level requirement be completed before commencing the Queen’s Scout level.

Undertake a pursuit and understand the rules/safety standards and skills involved in the pursuit. It is expected that it will take the Venturer Scout a minimum of 30 hours over a period of approximately six months to complete the pursuit.

There are many possible pursuits that could be taken up and some common examples are given in the Venturer Award section.


SONGS

1. Tom Lehrer (in 1959) sang “The Elements” to the tune of “Modern Major General” from Pirates of Penzance – http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DYW50F42ss8

2. You'll be bopping along while you learn the chemical elements to AsapSCIENCE's illustrated version of the NEW Periodic Table Song, first released in 2013 and updated in 2015 - http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VgVQKCcfwnU

3. They Might Be Giants also did an entire album called “Here Comes Science” – which includes the really cool track called “Meet The Elements” - http://thekidshouldseethis.com/post/9921092845

4. For some more fun Chemistry songs – check out the KidsKnowIt Network - http://www.kidsknowit.com/educational-songs/index.php?topic=Chemistry

All of these songs can be used on their own, or during other experiments as background music. You may be surprised how well people will remember them.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DYW50F42ss8

https://www.facebook.com/AsapSCIENCE/

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VgVQKCcfwnU

http://thekidshouldseethis.com/post/9921092845

http://www.kidsknowit.com/educational-songs/index.php?topic=Chemistry


EXPERIMENTS

RAINBOW MILK

NOTE: Because this activity involves dyed milk, it is best to do the activity outdoors or on a surface that can safely have dye spilled on it, in case an accident occurs. Doing this activity near a sink or hose makes it easier to clean up at the end. Also – be aware of allergies!

Materials

• Whole milk (at room temperature) [ALLERGY RISK]

• Plate (or some other shallow dish) with a FLAT bottom

• Coloured food dyes

• Cotton swabs • Liquid or Laundry detergent • Paper towels

Method

1. Pour enough milk into the plate so that the bottom is completely covered. 2. Place a few drops of food colouring in the milk (Close together works well) 3. Predict what will happen when you touch the tip of a clean cotton swab to the centre of the

milk. Test it out by touching the surface of the milk with the swab. It’s important not to stir the milk, just touch it with the tip of the cotton swab.

4. Now place a drop of liquid dish soap on the other end of the cotton swab. Touch the soap-covered end to the same area as before. What happens this time?

5. Try touching a few other areas of the milk with the soap-covered cotton swab end. What happens as you continue to touch the milk in other places?

What is happening?

For Joeys and Cubs: The drop of detergent reduces the surface tension at the point where it dissolves the fat molecules in the milk. The higher surface tension of the surrounding milk pulls the surface away from that spot, dragging the food dye with it. The rest is due to the detergent breaking down the fats within the milk. As the fat breaks down, water carries the food colouring to where the fat was to fill the space.

For Scouts and above: Milk is mostly water, but it also contains vitamins, minerals, proteins, and tiny droplets of fat suspended in solution. Fats and proteins are sensitive to changes in the surrounding solution (the milk).

The secret of the bursting colours is in the chemistry of that tiny drop of soap. Detergent, such as liquid dish soap, is mostly surfactants. Surfactants have a hydrophilic part that wants to interact with the water and a hydrophobic part that wants to interact with the fat molecules. Because of this, when the cotton swab with soap touched the milk, the soap separated the fat from the water in the milk, dissolving the fat (which is how soap cleans greasy, dirty dishes).

For further information visit Scientific American: http://www.scientificamerican.com/article/surfactant-science-make-a-milk-rainbow/

http://www.scientificamerican.com/article/surfactant-science-make-a-milk-rainbow/


CORNFLOUR SLIME

NOTE: If you put in food colouring, you may notice a little bit of colour left on your hands after washing. Don't worry. It should go away in a day or two. Also – be aware of any wheat/gluten allergies.

Materials

• Water • Cornflour (made from corn; NOT

wheaten cornflour) [ALLERGY RISK]

• A large bowl • Large spoon • Food colouring (optional)

Method

1. Place the cornflour in the bowl. 2. Use the spoon to stir the cornflour while adding a little bit of water at a time. Keep stirring

and adding until the cornflour is wet. 3. (Optional) Add a few drops of food colouring 4. Keep adding small amounts of water and stirring until a thick slime forms. 5. Try grabbing a handful and squeeze it. Let it ooze through your fingers. 6. Make a puddle and quickly drag your fingers through it. 7. Put it into a plastic container and shake it or quickly bump it against a table. 8. Jab at the slime and then slowly let your finger sink in. 9. Roll some slime into a ball. It becomes solid, but when you stop moving it, it will melt back

into your hand.

What is happening?

For Joeys and Cubs: By stirring or punching the cornflour slime, you are applying a force. It is this ‘shear force’, which causes the slime to become thicker. As soon as the sheer force is removed, the slime becomes runny again.

For Scouts and above: When cornflour slime is punched, a large shear force is applied. The cornflour particles lock together, increasing the viscosity, and the slime feels like a solid. When the slime is moved more slowly, a smaller shear force is applied. The cornflour particles have time to roll over each other with water flowing between the particles. In this case the fluid has a lower viscosity and flows like a fluid.

Cornflour slime is a stir-thickening fluid, which means that its viscosity (runniness or tendency to resist flowing) changes depending on whether or not the fluid is being stirred. By stirring or punching the cornflour slime, you are applying a force. It is this ‘shear force’, which causes the slime to become thicker. As soon as the sheer force is removed, the slime becomes runny again.


MAKE YOUR OWN SHERBET

NOTE: Most icing sugar is gluten-free, double check is you have gluten-intolerant youth members. Some jelly crystals contain beef gelatine which may need to be considered for vegetarians.

Materials

• Icing sugar [ALLERGY RISK] • Sodium bicarbonate • Powdered citric acid • Plastic cup

• Teaspoon • Tablespoon • Optional – Jelly Crystals for flavour

Method

1. Add one tablespoon of icing sugar to the plastic cup. 2. Add one teaspoon of bicarbonate of soda to the plastic cup. 3. Add one teaspoon of citric acid to the plastic cup. 4. Stir thoroughly. 5. Taste – can you feel a fizzing sensation? 6. Try adding different amounts of each ingredient to see if you can make the mixture more or

less fizzy. Be careful not to add too much citric acid, or your sherbet will taste very sour.

What is happening?

The fizzing on your tongue is caused by a chemical reaction between the citric acid and the sodium bicarbonate. When the citric acid and sodium bicarbonate mix with your saliva, they react together to make bubbles that fizz and pop in your mouth. The icing sugar makes the nice taste.

This reaction is similar to the more common reaction between vinegar and sodium bicarbonate. When an acid (like vinegar or citric acid) is mixed with a carbonate (like sodium bicarbonate), they react to form carbon dioxide gas, water and a salt. The carbon dioxide produced in this reaction is what makes the bubbles on your tongue.

Reactions between citric acid and sodium bicarbonate take a very, very long time if both chemicals are in the form of a solid powder. If they are dissolved in water however, the reaction will go significantly faster. That is why no bubbles of carbon dioxide are formed until you wet the chemicals with your saliva. Household vinegar has a lot of water in it already, so reactions with vinegar and sodium bicarbonate happen very quickly and don't require extra water.


DISAPPEARING WATER

Materials

• An unused nappy • Zip lock bag • Newspaper

• Scissors • Plastic cup • Water

Method

1. Place the unused nappy on the piece of newspaper. Carefully cut through the inside lining and remove all the cotton-like material. Put all the stuffing material into a clean, zipper-lock bag.

2. Scoop up any of the polymer powder that may have spilled onto the paper and pour it into the bag with the stuffing. Blow a little air into the bag to make it puff up like a pillow, then seal the bag.

3. Shake the bag for a few minutes to remove the powdery polymer from the stuffing. Notice how much (or how little) powder falls to the bottom of the bag.

4. Pour the powder into a plastic cup, and add about 100mL of water 5. Mix the two together. 6. What do you notice has happened?

What is happening?

The secret, water-absorbing chemical in a nappy is a superabsorbent polymer called sodium polyacrylate. A polymer is simply a long chain of repeating molecules (kind of like a beaded necklace).

Superabsorbent polymers expand tremendously when they come in contact with water because water is drawn into and held by the molecules of the polymer. They act like giant sponges. Some can soak up as much as 800 times their weight in water.

This experiment makes for an awesome practical joke. Try pouring the water into a cup you can’t see through, that already has the powder in it. Then threaten to pour it over someone’s head…

Sodium polyacrylate


KITCHEN INDICATOR - MEASURING pH NOTE: Turmeric can stain clothing and surfaces if not cleaned immediately. Methylated spirits is a poisonous and potentially hazardous chemical. Perform this activity with adult supervision in a well-ventilated area. This activity might be a bit hard for Joeys and Cubs.

Materials

• Turmeric • Disposable plastic cups • Methylated spirits • Unbleached toilet paper

• Disposable plastic plates • Bicarbonate of soda • Vinegar

Method

1. Place two heaped teaspoons of turmeric into the bottom of a plastic cup. 2. Cover the turmeric with about 3 cm of methylated spirits and stir. 3. Place a sheet of toilet paper on the bottom of a disposable plastic plate. 4. Once all the turmeric has settled to the bottom of the cup, pour only the yellow fluid onto

the toilet paper until the toilet paper is yellow. 5. Leave the turmeric-dyed toilet paper to dry. 6. Cut the turmeric-dyed toilet paper into strips. 7. Place two teaspoons of bicarbonate of soda into a clean cup and mix with two teaspoons of

water. 8. Dip a strip of the turmeric-dyed toilet paper into the bicarbonate of soda solution. Observe

what happens. 9. Dip the same strip of turmeric-dyed toilet paper into 2 teaspoons of vinegar. Observe what

happens.

What is happening?

Turmeric (Curcuma longa) is a plant whose parts are often used as a spice in cooking. Turmeric is an example of a natural pH indicator, which means that it can be used to determine a substance’s pH. Indicators, such as turmeric, work by changing their colour with changes in pH.

The turmeric indicator changes colour between roughly a pH of 7.4 and 8.6. If turmeric is exposed to neutral or acidic substances (those with a pH of less than 7.4) it will retain its yellow colouration. However, if turmeric is exposed to more alkaline substances (those with a pH greater than 8.6) it becomes a dark pink/red.

Bicarbonate of soda solution is alkaline so the turmeric-dyed toilet paper turned from yellow to dark pink/red when it was dipped in the bicarbonate of soda solution. Vinegar is acidic so the turmeric-dyed toilet paper turned from dark pink/red to yellow when it was dipped in the vinegar.


EXTRACTING STRAWBERRY DNA

Materials

• Strawberry • Isopropyl alcohol • Liquid detergent • Salt • Zip lock bag • Sieve

• Water • Measuring utensils • Beakers or similar containers • Tweezers or toothpick • Pipette (optional) • Spoon

Method

1. Put the isopropyl alcohol in the freezer for later.

2. Measure 90mL of water into a beaker or similar container.

3. Pour 10mL of dish soap into the 90mL of water. Add ¼ tsp. of salt to the liquid in the beaker.

4. Mix it all up – this is your homemade extraction solution!

5. Place your strawberry in the zip lock bag, and pour in the extraction solution. Remove as much air from the bag as you can before sealing it.

6. Use your hands to mash, smash and mush the strawberry inside the bag, until there are no large pieces left.

7. Pour the mixture through the sieve and into a beaker or similar container. Use a spoon to push the strained bits of strawberry against the sieve so you can collect as much solution as possible.

8. Transfer the strained solution you’ve collected into a transparent container that holds about 50-100mL of solution.

9. Take the isopropyl alcohol out of the freezer, and add 5mL to each child’s solution and hold the mixture at eye level.

10. The ‘white stuff’ floating at the top is strawberry DNA! You can gently remove the DNA from the solution using tweezers or a toothpick to have a better look.

What is happening?

Deoxyribonucleic acid or DNA is present in every cell of all plants and animals, and determines the genetics of the individual organisms. The molecule is in the form of a double helix, which two spirals twisting around each other. These spirals are the backbone of the DNA, and are made up of sugars and phosphates.

The long thick fibres you pull out of the extraction solution are strands of strawberry DNA. While other fruits are soft and easy to pulverize, strawberries are perfect for DNA extraction as they yield more DNA than any other fruits, and they are octoploid, which means that they have eight copies of each type of DNA chromosome.

The soap helps to dissolve the cell membranes. The salt is added to break up protein chains that hold nucleic acids together, releasing the DNA strands. Finally, DNA is not soluble in isopropyl alcohol, and even less so when the alcohol is ice cold, so the DNA strands clump together so we can see them.


LAVA LAMPS

Materials

• 2 clear plastic cups • Vinegar • Bicarbonate of soda

• Cooking oil • Food colouring

Method

1. Cover the base of one cup with about 5mm of bicarbonate of soda. 2. Slowly half fill this cup with oil. 3. Fill the second cup about 1/3 full with vinegar and add 1-3 drops of food colouring. 4. Gently pour the vinegar into the cup with the oil. Watch what happens.

What is happening?

The coloured vinegar doesn’t mix with the oil - they are immiscible, so the vinegar forms globules or small balls in the vinegar. Because it is denser than the oil, the vinegar globules sink to the bottom of the cup, where they come into contact with the bicarbonate of soda.

The vinegar undergoes a chemical reaction with the bicarbonate of soda to produce bubbles of carbon dioxide gas. This reaction makes the vinegar and carbon dioxide globules less dense than oil, so they rise upwards through it (a little like giving a small child floaties or water wings in a swimming pool). As the vinegar globule reaches the surface the carbon dioxide is released into the air leaving the vinegar and food colouring globule behind, where it will start to sink again. This process will continue for several minutes until the chemical reaction is complete.


FILM CANISTER ROCKETS

Materials

• Alka Seltzer tablet • Photographic film canister with tight-

fitting lid

• Water • A hard surface

Method

1. Partly fill the film canister with water. 2. The next step should be one swift action: Place 1/4 of an Alka Seltzer tablet into the water

and quickly put the canister lid on, shaking it once or twice and turning it upside down so that it sits on its lid.

3. Step back quickly and watch. If it starts to leak, carefully lift the canister up and flick off the lid, ensuring it is aimed away from people or delicate objects.

4. What happens to the film canister? 5. Extension - You can try changing a number of variables in this activity, including the

quantities of water and Alka Seltzer, the temperature of the water, or breaking the tablet into small pieces before adding it to the water.

What is happening?

Alka Seltzer tablets contain sodium bicarbonate and citric acid, both in dry powder form. When they dissolve in water, they react together. This reaction produces carbon dioxide gas. This is the same reaction as in sherbet.

Once the canister is closed the gas can’t escape and it begins to build up inside the container, increasing the air pressure in the canister (more air pushing = more pressure). Eventually the air pressure is high enough to blow the canister off the lid.

Using smaller pieces of Alka Seltzer or grinding it up increases the surface area over which the reaction can occur, usually leading to a faster rocket launch. BONUS CHALLENGE/S - does adding fins or a nosecone to the canister control the flight path? How much water in the canister will give the highest flight? How much water will give the quickest launch?


ACID OR BASE

Materials

• Red cabbage leaves • Boiling water • Vinegar • Lemon juice

• Bicarbonate of Soda • Laundry detergent • Optional: Blender • Optional: Coffee filter paper

Method

1. Chop up the cabbage leaves into small pieces. Boil some water and cover the pieces, then let them soak for around half an hour. (If you’re on a tight time frame, you can also half fill a blender with water and blend them instead).

2. Pour the purplish cabbage liquid through a strainer to filter out all of the big chunks of cabbage. Save the liquid.

3. Pour some of the chemicals you want to test into separate plastic cups. 4. Add some of the cabbage liquid to each chemical 5. What can you see?

What is happening?

Think of acids and bases as opposites—acids have a low pH and bases have a high pH. Scientists can tell if a substance is an acid or a base by means of an indicator. An indicator is typically a chemical that changes colour if it comes in contact with an acid or a base. For reference, water (neutral) has a pH of 7 on a scale of 0–14.

In this experiment, cabbage juice acts as an indicator. It can show whether a chemical is an acid or a base by changing its colour. In this case, if the indicator turns pink, the chemical is an acid. If it turns a blue/green colour, then the chemical is a base.

Red cabbage contains a water-soluble pigment called anthocyanin that changes colour when it is mixed with an acid or a base. The pigment turns red in acidic environments with a pH less than 7 and the pigment turns bluish-green in alkaline (basic) environments with a pH greater than 7.

Red cabbage is just one of many indicators that are available to scientists. Some indicators start out colourless and turn blue or pink, for example, when they mix with a base. If there is no colour change at all, the substance that you are testing is probably close to neutral, just like water.

You can also make your own pH indicator strips. Soak some coffee filter paper in concentrated cabbage juice. Remove the paper from the cabbage juice and hang it up by a clothespin to dry. Cut the dried paper into thin strips. Dip the strips into various liquids to test their pH. The redder the strip turns, the more acidic the liquid is. The greener the strip turns, the more basic the liquid is.


THE VANISHING ACT

Materials

• Warm water • 3 clear plastic cups • Salt

• Sugar • Sand • Spoons

Method

1. Fill the cups three quarters full with warm water. 2. Place 2 teaspoons of salt in one cups – stir quickly and count until the salt disappears. Write

down this number so you can compare it to the other cups. 3. Repeat for Sand and Sugar in the other cups.

What is happening?

Some materials, such as sugar and salt, easily dissolve in water. They break down into ions, so that we can’t see them anymore, but if we tasted them we would know the salt or sugar was in the water. This is due to the charge on the different parts of these materials. Water is a polar molecule and different parts of water will be attracted to different ions in the water.

Ionic compounds dissolve in water if the energy given off when the ions interact with water molecules compensates for the energy needed to break the ionic bonds in the solid and the energy required to separate the water molecules so that the ions can be inserted into solution.

Other materials, like sand, don’t dissolve in water and such don’t disappear. Usually, these materials are non-polar molecules and hence are not ‘attracted’ to the water.

More details can be found here: http://chemed.chem.purdue.edu/genchem/topicreview/bp/ch18/soluble.php.

http://chemed.chem.purdue.edu/genchem/topicreview/bp/ch18/soluble.php


CLIMBING COLOURS

Materials

• Coloured markers (water-based) • Coffee filter paper or paper towel • Clear plastic cups

• Water • Scissors

Method

1. Cut some strips 2.5 cm wide strips of filter paper, such that they are long enough to reach the bottom of the plastic cup.

2. Draw a dot with the coloured marker about 2.5 cm from the bottom of a strip. 3. Place the strip into 1 cm of water in the bottom of the cup, leaning the strip up against the

side. Make sure that the water level is BELOW the dot. 4. Watch what happens.

What is happening?

The water should rise up the paper, past the dot and carry the ink up the filter paper. The ink will separate into its different colours. Many types of ink are made up of different colours. As the water carries the ink up the paper, the colours separate because some move further and faster than others. This is because the different colours are different size molecules, and travel less or more well with the water.

This is a really simple example of a scientific technique known as chromatography. Chromatography literally means "colour writing" (from the Greek words chroma and graphe). Really, though, it's a bit of a misnomer because it often doesn't involve colour, paper, ink, or writing. Chromatography is actually a way of separating out a mixture of chemicals, which are in gas or liquid form, by letting them creep slowly past another substance, which is typically a liquid or solid. So, with the ink and paper trick for example, we have a liquid (the ink) dissolved in water or another solvent creeping over the surface of a solid (the paper).


INVISIBLE INK

Background

Lemon juice—and the juice of most fruits, for that matter—contains carbon compounds. These compounds are pretty much colourless at room temperature. But heat can break down these compounds, releasing the carbon. If the carbon comes in contact with the air, a process called oxidation occurs, and the substance turns light or dark brown.

Materials

• Half a lemon • Half a teaspoon of water • Small bowl • Spoon

• White paper • Cotton tips • An iron, heater or hot lamp

Method

1. Squeeze the juice of your lemon half into the bowl. Add the water and mix with a spoon. 2. Soak the cotton tip in the lemon juice-and-water solution. 3. Use the damp cotton top to write your top-secret message on the piece of paper. 4. Wait a few minutes for the paper to dry. While you're waiting, you can switch on your heat

source to give it time to heat up. 5. When the paper is dry, hold it near the heat source (or, if using an iron, iron your paper). 6. What happened to the invisible ink? How long did it take for the change to occur?

What is happening?

Lemon juice is an organic substance that oxidises and turns brown when heated. Diluting the lemon juice in water makes it very hard to notice when you apply it the paper, no one will be aware of its presence until it is heated and the secret message is revealed.

When you pain the lemon juice solution onto the paper, the carbon-based compounds are absorbed into the paper's fibres. When you heat the paper, the heat caused some of the chemical bonds to break down, freeing the carbon. Once the carbon came into contact with the air, it went through a process called oxidation, one effect of which is to turn a darker colour. Other substances which work in the same way include orange juice, honey, milk, onion juice, vinegar and wine.

Oxidation doesn't always need heat to occur. Some fruits themselves can turn brown from oxidation. Think of an apple or pear slice that is left out on the counter for too long. Invisible ink can also be made using chemical reactions or by viewing certain liquids under ultraviolet (UV) light.


BATH BOMBS: SCIENCE WITH A BIT OF T.L.C.

Materials

• 1½ cups of bicarbonate of soda • ½ cup of citric acid powder (fine

grade) • Potpourri or herbal tea bags

(camomile, lemon, rosehip, peppermint etc.)

• Sieve

• Essential Oil (peppermint, lavender etc.)

• Sweet Almond Oil [ALLERGY RISK] • Food colouring • Rubber gloves • Moulds from craft shops. • Bowls

NOTE: This amount makes about 4 bath bombs

Method

1. Sieve bicarbonate of soda and citric acid powder into a large dry mixing bowl. 2. Transfer ½ cup of this base mix into a medium bowl and stir in the contents of an herbal

teabag or potpourri. Set aside. 3. In a small bowl combine 6 drops of essential oil, ½ teaspoon of sweet almond oil and

8-12 drops of food colouring (or until your desired colour is reached). 4. Combine the base mix and the oil mix, stirring quickly with a teaspoon to prevent fizzing. 5. Wearing gloves, continue to combine the ingredients until it clumps together when

compressed in your hand. This needs to be done with your fingers so that the liquid is distributed evenly.

6. Wipe a little sweet almond oil in the mould. Fill the mould with the mixture, packing it in firmly.

7. Leave the bath bombs in their moulds to set for at least 24 hours (36 hours is even better!) 8. After they’ve set, turn over the moulds; bang them firmly once on a flat surface and gently

ease out your bath bomb!

What is happening?

Reactions between citric acid and sodium bicarbonate take a very, very long time if both chemicals are in the form of a solid powder. If they are dissolved in water however, the reaction will go significantly faster. That is why no bubbles of carbon dioxide are formed until you drop the bath bomb into the bath. This is the same reaction you get in sherbet, but we wouldn’t recommend eating your bath bombs!


FEELING A LITTLE DENSE

Materials

• Vegetable oil • Coloured water • Syrup (e.g. maple syrup) • Large jar or beaker

• Grape • Metal nut • Cork

Method

1. Pour some syrup into the jar or beaker until it’s about ¼ full 2. Then add the same amount of vegetable oil and coloured water 3. Do the liquids mix together? If not, what order do they settle in? 4. Drop in the grape, metal nut and the cork. 5. Where do they settle?

What is happening?

The science secret here is density. The liquids separate into layers, with the densest (the syrup) on the bottom and the least dense (the oil) on the top. Lighter liquids (like water or rubbing alcohol) are less dense or have less “stuff” packed into them than heavier liquids (like honey or corn syrup).

The objects we drop in are all different densities too, and settle where they fall on the density gradient. If the layer of liquid is more dense than the object itself, the object stays on top of that liquid. If the layer of liquid is less dense than the object, the object sinks through that layer until it meets a liquid layer that is dense enough to hold it up.

You can do this experiment with more layers. A good 7 layer combination is (in the order you would put them in) – honey, corn syrup, liquid detergent, water, vegetable oil, rubbing alcohol, lamp oil.

Just make sure you pour each of the layers in slowly because the densities will be more similar the more layers there are, so they are more likely to mix together a bit.


AN OILY PROBLEM

Materials

• Four clear glasses, each half full of water

• Cooking oil

• Food colouring – red or blue show up best

• Liquid detergent

Method

1. Add a few drops of food colour to the first glass and stir. Notice how well the colour mixes with the water.

2. Pour some cooking oil into the second glass. Does it mix in like the food colour did? Try stirring the oil and observe what happens. The oil will eventually rise to form a layer on top of the water.

3. Pour enough cooking oil into the third glass to form a layer approximately five centimetres thick. When the oil layer has settled, add a few drops of food colour. Don’t stir. Watch how each drop behaves as it hits the oil layer. Now mix everything in together. What happens to the drops of colour? Some tiny drops of colour will probably stay in the oil layer. Watch what happens to them after a while.

4. Create the same oil and water mixture in the fourth glass, with several drops of food colour. Add a teaspoon of dishwashing detergent and stir vigorously. What is different this time? Notice the colour of the oil layer. Is it the same as the water layer?

What is happening?

When oil tankers spill oil into the ocean, the oil floats on top of the water, causing environmental damage, killing fish and seabirds. The reason oil floats on water is because they don’t mix. Here's a great activity that will turn you into a star chef as well as a scientist.

Oil and water don’t mix. Even when you stir them together, they will soon separate. The oil, which is lighter (or less dense), rises to the top. Food colouring is water-based, so it mixes easily with water, but can’t mix with the oil. Did you notice how the drops of food colour behaved when they travel through the oil? Sometimes the food colour forms perfect little beads, which slowly dropped through the oil layer.


DEMONSTRATIONS

DIET COKE FOUNTAIN

Materials

• 2L Bottle of Diet Coke • Tube of Mentos mints

• Outdoor space • Paper or plastic tube

Method

1. Carefully open the bottle of diet coke and place it on the ground where it won’t tip over. 2. The next goal is to drop all seven Mentos into the bottle of Diet Coke at the same time

(which is trickier than you might think). One way of doing this is to roll a piece of paper into a tube just big enough to hold the loose Mentos. Load the seven Mentos into the tube, cover the bottom of the tube with your finger, and position the tube directly over the mouth of the bottle. Position it so that when you pull your finger out of the way, all seven Mentos should fall into the bottle at the same time.

3. Remove your finger…and get out of the way! 4. Repeat (because everyone will want to see it again!)

What is happening?

Soft drink is made of sugar or artificial sweetener, flavouring, water and preservatives. The thing that makes soft drink bubbly is invisible carbon dioxide (CO2), which is pumped into bottles at the bottling factory using lots of pressure.

If you shake a bottle or can of soft drink, some of the gas comes out of the solution and the bubbles cling to the inside walls of the container (thanks to tiny pits and imperfections on the inside surface of the bottle called nucleation sites).

When you open the container, the bubbles quickly rise to the top pushing the liquid out of the way. In other words, the liquid sprays everywhere.

If you drop an object like a raisin or a piece of uncooked pasta into a glass of soft drink you might notice how bubbles immediately form on the surface of the object. These are CO2 bubbles leaving the soft drink and attaching themselves to the object.

For example, adding salt to soft drink causes it to foam up because thousands of little bubbles form on the surface of each grain of salt. This bubbling process is called nucleation, and the places where the bubbles form, whether on the sides of the can, on an object, or around a tiny grain of salt, are the nucleation sites.

The reason why Mentos work so well is twofold—tiny pits on the surface of the mint, and the weight of the Mentos itself. Each Mentos mint has thousands of tiny pits all over the surface. These tiny pits act as nucleation sites—perfect places for CO2 bubbles to form.

As soon as the Mentos hits the soft drink, bubbles form all over the surfaces of the candies and then quickly rise to the surface of the liquid. Mentos candies are also heavy and sink to the bottom of the bottle and you’ve got a double whammy. The gas released by the Mentos literally pushes all of the liquid up and out of the bottle in an incredible soft drink fountain.


ORANGE PEEL BALLOON POP

Materials

• An Orange • Balloon

Method

1. Cut a piece of peel off of the orange. 2. Blow up the balloon and tie it off. 3. Squeeze the oil from the peel onto the balloon and observe.

What is happening?

The orange peel contains an acid called limonene. When the limonene comes into contact with the surface of a balloon, some of the rubber balloon dissolves in the limonene. This weakens the balloon, causing it to pop.


ELEPHANT’S TOOTHPASTE SAFETY NOTE: This experiment requires adult supervision. All participants should wear dishwashing gloves and safety glasses as standard chemical handling practice.

Materials

• Dishwashing gloves • Safety glasses • 100 mL, 3% Hydrogen Peroxide • Measuring cup • 500 mL PET bottle • Funnel • Plastic tray • Dishwashing detergent

• Plastic eye dropper • Food colouring (any type except

cochineal) • Small cup • Sachet of dry yeast • Tablespoon • Lukewarm water

Method

1. Put safety glasses and gloves on. 2. Measure 100 mL of the 3% hydrogen peroxide using the measuring cup. 3. Place the funnel in the PET bottle. 4. Pour the hydrogen peroxide into the PET bottle via the funnel. 5. Remove the funnel and place the PET bottle on the plastic tray. 6. Add a large squirt of dishwashing detergent to the PET bottle. 7. Optional: Use the eyedropper to add 10 drops of food colouring to the PET bottle. 8. Empty a sachet of yeast into the cup and add four tablespoons of lukewarm water. Mix well. 9. Place the funnel in the PET bottle. 10. Quickly add the yeast mixture to the PET bottle via the funnel. 11. Quickly remove the funnel, stand back and watch what happens.

What is happening?

The foam is made as the dishwashing detergent traps tiny oxygen bubbles created by the chemical reaction that is happening inside the bottle. The thick foam oozes out of the top of the bottle and looks like toothpaste when toothpaste is being squeezed out of its tube. The activity is called ’Elephant’s Toothpaste’ because the large stream of foam looks like toothpaste that is big enough for an elephant!

Hydrogen peroxide (H2O2 ) is a molecule made up of hydrogen and oxygen atoms. Under the right conditions, hydrogen peroxide will undergo a chemical reaction to break down into two parts, oxygen and water. This particular reaction is also an ’exothermic’ reaction, meaning it gives off heat. If you feel the sides of the bottle, the plastic should feel warm.

Continued over...


ELEPHANT’S TOOTHPASTE (cont.)

Yeast contains an enzyme called catalase that works as a ’catalyst’ in this reaction. The yeast is added to the hydrogen peroxide to speed up the reaction. The catalase in the yeast speeds up the process of breaking down the hydrogen peroxide which produces oxygen and water more quickly. The oxygen gets trapped by the dishwashing detergent as many tiny bubbles.

Here is a YouTube link that shows a slightly different version of the Elephant's toothpaste experiment in action: https://youtu.be/xcdSC76IXhc.

https://youtu.be/xcdSC76IXhc

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