FUN SCIENCE EXPERIMENTS

Thursday, April 7, 2016

A HOMEMADE MAGNIFYING GLASS!

Lets see how we can make a magnifying glass in case of an emergency

Materials Required

A magazine page with small print
A clean empty olive bottle
Water

Instruction

Fill the olive jar with water to the brim. Screw on the cap. Make sure the lid is tight.

Now hold the water filled olive jar above the small printed text.

The text is now enlarged and inverted.

The water filled olive jar acts like a LENS!

Cleansing Action of soap.

Most of the dirt is oily in nature. We know that oil does not dissolve in water, so how do we get rid of the dirt? The answer to our problems is soap! Soap are long carboxylic chain of sodium and potassium salts. The soap molecule consists of two ends - the hydrophobic “tail” and the hydrophilic end (See figure 1). The hydrophobic tail dissolves in oil while the hydrophilic end dissolves in water. Hence one end in the soap molecule faces towards the water, while the other end face towards oil. This forms an emulsion in water. This structure is called micelles(See figure 2). Soap in the form of micelles is able to clean dirt.

SOAP MOLECULE (FIG 1)

MICELLES (FIG 2)

The hydrophobic end is always kept away from water. Inside water the soap molecules form clusters, in which the hydrophobic end is in the interior.

Why does the soap solution appears to be cloudy?

The micelles are large enough to scatter light, hence soap solution appears to be cloudy

Wednesday, October 28, 2015

A Personal Alarm System

Lets make an alarm to prevent an authorised entry into the room!

Materials Required

9-Volt Battery with a battery clip
An electricity conducting paper clip
A small bulb and a bulb socket
2 Upholstery Tacks
Tape
Scissors & Hammer
Wire with stripped ends
A spool of thread

Instructions

Hammer the tacks into the wall close to the door, make sure the lower tack is a closer to the upper one relatively but the perpendicular distance between the two must be close. (See Picture)

Use Picture for Reference. Picture NOT TO SCALE

Push the bulb firmly into the socket and attach the battery clip to the 9-Volt battery. Twist the red battery together with one of the light socket wires. Twist the black battery clip wire tightly around the bottom tack. Twist the remaining light socket wire tightly around the top tack. Tape the wires to the wall as shown.

Securely tape a paper clip to the opposite door frame. Place the spool of thread on the floor. Poke the thread through the paper clip. Pull the thread across the closed door, towards the tacks
Tie one end of the thread to the other paper clip. Poke the paper clip under the black battery clip wire. Let it hang down so it doesn't touch the bottom tack as long the door is closed.

What Happens???

When the door is pulled the paper clip is pulled to the bottom tack causing the circuit to be completed, and hence the electricity flows causing the light to glow.

Monday, June 29, 2015

HOW TO USE A WATCH FOR A COMPASS?

Need a compass immediately? Don't have it with you right now? Don't worry... use your wristwatch!

Materials Required:
1. Analog Watch
2. A sunny day

Instructions

Stand outdoors. Take the watch in your palm and point the hour hand towards the sun. If it is before noon, travel clockwise around the watch face from the hour hand to the number 12. Imagine a line that goes from the centre of the watch halfway between the hour hand and 12. The line is pointing South, the opposite is north.
After noon, travel counterclockwise from the hour hand to 12 and then divide the angle into half. The halfway point is south.
At noon, the 12 will point towards south.

Hope this helps ;)

Friday, June 19, 2015

DISPLACEMENT REACTION....... WHAT IS IT? HOW IS IT DONE? EVERYTHING YOU NEED TO KNOW

This experiment focuses on "Displacement Reaction" for high school students.

Displacement Reaction: A reaction in which a more reactive element displaces or takes place of an element with lower reactivity

Materials:

1) Three Iron nails

2) Sand paper

3) 2 test tubes

4) Copper Sulphate Solution (CuSO₄)

5) Thread

6) Test tube stand

Instructions

Take 2 test tubes and put 10 ml copper sulphate solution in each.
Put the first test tube on the stand and tie the 2 nails and immerse them in the same test tube. (The other nail and test tube containing copper sulphate is only for comparison)
Leave the apparatus for 20 minutes.
After 20 minutes take the nails out.

Observe: The nails which were immersed are brownish in colour in comparison to the nail which was not immersed. Also the copper sulphate solution in which the nails were immersed has a lighter shade of blue.

What happened?

There was a reaction between Copper sulphate and iron in which, iron displaces copper.

Fe(s) + CuSO₄(aq)⟶ FeSO₄(aq) + Cu(s)

Iron displaces copper because in the reactivity series it is placed higher then copper, in other words, it is more reactive then copper.

BEHOLD!!!! THE POTATO BATTERY!!!

Ever thought about making a battery would food? Don't think its possible? Let's find out!!

Materials Required:
1) 2 Galvanised nails
2) 2 Copper nails
3) 3 Jumper Wire
4) A clock with only 1 Battery required

Instructions

Insert a galvanised nail at one end of both the potatoes.
Now, insert the copper nail, at the other end of both the potatoes. Make sure the nails do not touch.
Now, take the first potato and connect a jumper wire, connecting the copper nail and the POSITIVE terminal of the battery compartment of the clock.
Connect the other jumper wire to the galvanised nail of the second potato and the NEGATIVE terminal of the battery compartment of the clock.
Connect the third wire to the galvanised nail of the first potato and the copper nail of the second potato.
Now the circuit has been completed, the clock would be running.

CONCEPT: A potato battery is an electrochemical batteryl. An electrochemical battery is a battery in which chemical energy is converted to electric energy by a spontaneous electron transfer. Hence electricity is generated (with movement of electrons) and the clock starts.

Sunday, March 16, 2014

HOW TO COPY THE SHAPE OF A KEY?

Lets see how we can copy the shape of a key!!

*TO BE PERFORMED ONLY ON A SUNNY DAY...

Materials Required

1) 2 or 3 pieces of black construction paper

2) Tape

3) Some old keys

4) Scissors

Instructions

Cut the construction paper into pieces of 3 inches by 3 inches.

Find a place outside with strong sunlight where nothing would disturb your experiment.

Put the papers outside tape the corners of the paper or put a heavy object on the paper so the wind cannot move it.

Place a key in the center.

After 4 hours remove the keys. You would see impression of the keys

HOW TO MAKE A FOOTPRINT CASTE?

Have you ever tried to make a plaster caste of a foot print? Lets try!!

Materials Required:
1) 1 Empty 2 lb coffee cans with lids (3-lb cans can also be used)
2) 1-lb plaster of Paris
3) Water
4) A wooden mixing Stick
5) 1 cup measurer
6) A screwdriver
7) 1 magnifying glass

Instruction

Make foot prints on dampened soil outdoor with a clearly patterned shoe sole, and choose the clearest and deepest footprint for the cast.

Put three cups of Plaster of Paris into a coffee can and add two cups of water to the can and mix well with the wooden stick. The plaster should be as thick as melted ice cream, let it stay for a few minutes.

Now pour the plaster of Paris gently into the footprint, let it flow over the edges.

With a twig write the date, location on the wet plaster.

Wait for 20 to 30 minutes, until the plaster hardens. Once it hardens gently dig around its edges with a screwdriver and take it off.

Your footprint caste is ready!!

SECRET MESSAGE ON AN EGG!!!

Have you ever wondered that a secret message can be codded on an egg?! Let us find out!

Materials Required:
1) 1 Hard boiled Egg
2) 1 White wax crayon
3) 1 or 2 cups of distilled vinegar
4) Water
5) 1 big glass
6) A soft scrub brush

Instructions

Write a message on the egg with a white crayon. And pass it out to the person you want to give the secret message to.

To Read The Message Do The Following:

1) Put some vinegar in the glass and put the egg with message written on it into the vinegar.

2) Tiny bubbles start to form on the egg. When the bubbling stops in about 1 to 2 hours, pour of the vinegar and replace it with fresh vinegar. After 4 hours pour off the fresh Vinegar. Wash the eggs under fresh water. gently scrub the crayon wax off the shell with the cleanser and brush. You can now read the message easily.

What Is Happening??

An acid is used to eat away some part of the surface of a material. Other parts are covered with a substance that the acid is unable to bite through, hence it acts like a protector and protects the surface of the material it is covering. This process is called Etching

DECODER GRID

Spies need to transfer messages. Well how do they do this? They do this by sending messages in codes, so if the message falls in the wrong hands it is not understood. One of these code is the decoder grid. Lets make one!!!

To Make The Decoder Grid:

Materials Required:
Scissors
Pen Or Pencil
2 Sheets Of Paper
Scale

Instructions

Make a 12cm X 12cm square on the sheet of the paper. Make 6 rows and columns so that it has 36 boxes. [2cm X 2cm]

Now cut out the second, sixth,eleventh, fourteenth, sixteenth, nineteenth, twenty-eighth, Thirtieth and thirty-third boxes. At the top write " DECODER GRID"

Cut the square out (make sure that the decoder grid is still written on the top)

Your Decoder Grid is ready!!!

Using The Decoder Grid

Place the Decoder Grid over a piece of blank paper. Make sure that the words "DECODER GRID"

is on the top. Trace around the top left corner of the grid to help your contacts position their own DECODER GRID correctly.

Write one letter of your message in each of the open squares. When the 9 spaces are filled turn the grid to the right. Now the "Decoder Grid" is toward the right. Remember to place the edge facing the mark (the mark you made by the top left corner) is positioned correctly.

Continue to right turn it again when you need to.

Once you have filled the message will all the blanks with dummy letters.

Your code is ready to be transferred!

Monday, December 16, 2013

HOW TO ELECTROPLATE AN IRON NAIL WITH COPPER!!!

Have you ever noticed the shiny handles of a bicycle? Do you know why is it shiny? This is because a material has been coated with chromium. If you scratch this surface you would find a very dull material inside! Lets see how to electroplate an iron nail with copper!!

Materials Required:
1 Copper Plate
1 Iron Nail
Copper Sulphate
1 Beaker
1 Battery
250 ml Distilled Water
Dilute Sulphuric acid (to speed up the process; optional)
Sandpaper
Some Wires

Instructions

In a glass beaker put 250 ml of distilled water.

Dissolve 2 teaspoonful of copper sulphate. Then add a few drops of dilute sulphuric acid.

Clean the iron nail and copper sulphate with sand paper, wash with water and then leave for drying.

Connect the nail to the negative terminal of the battery through a wire, and the copper plate with the positive terminal, dip put them (they are called "electrodes") in the copper sulphate solution and leave them for 15 minutes.

Observation: The nail is coated with copper!

What Is Happening??

When electricity is passed through the solution, copper sulphate breaks up into copper and sulphate. The copper is deposited on the electrode connected to the negative terminal (iron nail). But what about the loss of copper in the solution? Well, the copper plates replace the amount of loss copper in the solution. Hence, we can say that we are using the copper plate to electroplate the iron nail!

Saturday, December 14, 2013

UNDERSTANDING TASTE BUDS!

Have you wondered how can you taste your food/beverage etc? Well lets try this simple experiment!

Materials Required:
Punch Hole machine
Sheet Of Paper
Cotton Ball
Food Coloring
Mirror

Instructions

Use A punch hole machine to make a small hole in the sheet of paper.

Take a cotton ball, dip in in the food coloring and wipe the color on your entire tongue

Put the colored part of your tongue through the hole, in the paper and look in the mirror. Count the round bumps in the paper hole.

If you have 25 or more than 25 bumps, it means your taste is very sensitive ie; your sense of taste is awesome!!! If you have below this number you are a ordinary taster.

Information On The Tongue:

A tongue has 4 basic types of taste buds: bitter, sour, salty and sweet.
The more taste buds you have the better your sense of taste is
Taste buds are replaced every 1 to 2 weeks.

Friday, December 13, 2013

HOW TO MAKE CANDLES FROM WAX CRAYONS!!!!

Let's make candles from wax crayons!

Materials

Wax crayons

Pan

String

Spoon

Skewers

Paper Cup

Instructions

Put the wax crayons into the pan and melt them over low heat and stir the crayons around gently.

While the wax is melting, make a small hole in the paper cup with the help of a skewer and put the string through the hole and then tie a knot underneath, the string should be long enough so that you can hang your candle to dry.

Now pour the wax into the paper cup, then hang it in a dry place for it to dry.

After 4 to 5 hours take the candle out and cut the thread (make sure that there is at least 1 cm of thread remaining at the top for the wick)

You are now ready to use your homemade candle!!!

Sunday, August 12, 2012

HOW TO PROVE AIR EXPANDS WHEN HEATED????

Let's prove air expands when heated!!!!!

Materials:

1 plastic cup

Water

Balloon

Glass test tube

Tape

Instructions

Fix the balloon to the test tube use tape to ensure it is attached firmily to the test tube (do not blow the balloon)

Boil water and pour the boiled water in the plastic cup and put the test tube with the balloon inside the water (make sure that only the bottom of the test tube should touch the water)

Observe: After 1 or 2 minutes the balloon is heated . This proves that when air is heated it expands

Friday, August 10, 2012

TO PROVE HOT AIR IS LIGHTER THAN COLD AIR!!

Let's prove hot air is lighter than cold air!

Materials:

2 cloth bags
1 candle
1 hanger

Instructions

Tie the cloth bags at the ends of the hanger. ( One at each end)

Hold the hanger from the hook, at an equal balace.

Now ask a friend to light the candle and heat one of the bags make sure that the flame of the candle does not touches the bags.

Observe: The bag that was heated rises up .

This proves hot air is lighter than cold air.

Wednesday, August 8, 2012

USING AIR TO CRUSH AN ALUMINIUM CAN!!!

Let's take the help of air to crush a aluminum can!!!

Materials:

Aluminum can

Saucepan

Kitchen toungs

Water

Cold water

Instructions

Fill the saucepan with cold water.

Now fill the can with 2-3 teaspoon of room temperature water.

Heat the can until the water inside starts to boil. ( You would see vapour cloud when the water starts to boil)

Let the water boil for 30 seconds.

After 30 seconds quickly grab the can with the KITCHEN TOUNGES and put it in the saucepan upside down

What is happening???

The water vapor created from heating the can pushed air out of the can. When the can is inverted and placed into the cold water, the water vapor in the can condenses quickly. Like the egg in the bottle experiment, the pressure in the can decreases quickly. The outside pressure is much higher than inside which causes the can to collapse!

Tuesday, July 24, 2012

CATCHING THE PARTICLES PRESENT IN AIR!

Let's make a device to catch the particles in the air!!

Materials:

A microscope or a magnifying glass

Elastic Band

A paper tissue

Empty Glass Jar

Instructions

Slightly damp the tissue paper in water.

Attach the damp tissue paper on the empty glass jar

Go outdoors and set the jar at a high, open and windy place, and leave it there for a day.

Then bring it inside and examine the tissue paper with a microscope or a magnifying glass.

The tissue will have collected various bits and pieces of

material. Some, like pollen from flowers, will be natural.

Others, like particles of soot, will be artificial waste products.

You can try this experiment in different weather condition!

Tuesday, July 3, 2012

TO INFLATE A BALLOON USING VINEGAR AND BAKING SODA!

Let's use vinegar and baking soda to blow a balloon!!

Materials:

A balloon

Water

Baking soda

Lemon juice or a lemon (vinegar works best)

Drinking straw

Small soda bottle (12 ounce or 20ounce)

Instructions

Take the small balloon in your hands and stretch it out a bit to make it a little easier to inflate.

Pour about 1 ounce of water of into the bottom of a small baking soda

Dissolve 1 teaspoon of baking soda into the water with the help of drinking straw.

Pour 3 tablespoon of lemon juice or the lemon juice found in 1 lemon.

Quickly put the mouth of the stretched balloon over the mouth of the soda bottle.

What is happening???

The balloon slowly inflates due to the presence of carbon-dioxide formed by the reaction of water, baking soda and lemon juice/vinegar