How about spending some fun time with your kid in a way that would also ignite their brain? Yes, you can do it with science and with not much
difficulty too. Given below are 6 science experiments that are not just easy to perform but also afford a great new way to learn.
1. Invisible Ink
This is a great experiment to make your kids feel like they’re complete masters in writing secret messages.
Stuff You Need:
Procedure:
Take a few drops of water in a bowl. Squeeze some juice from the lemon half into this bowl and mix both liquids with a spoon.
Take the cotton bud, dip it into the mixture and use it as a pen to write a secret message on the paper.
Allow some time for the juice message to dry up. This would also make the message completely invisible.
Like magic, reveal the so far invisible message by holding the paper near a light bulb.
2. Making Nitrous Oxide Gas
This is strictly for older children and should be done with adequate precautions and under supervision in a laboratory. Tell them they’re going to make “laughing gas.” This is the same gas that is used for safe sedates via a
nitrous oxide mask while having dental procedures.
Stuff You Need:
- Ammonium nitrate (the higher the purity, the greater the safety)
- A container for the ammonium nitrate
- A pneumatic trough - It is just a tube that extends from the container holding the ammonium nitrate and which would bubble the gases upwards and through the water to finally enter the collection jar. It gets rid of smoke from ammonium nitrate impurities and water from the reaction.
Procedure:
Lightly heat the ammonium nitrate on the bunsen burner, making sure to keep the temperature within 170 and 240 degrees centigrade.
Use your pneumatic trough to cool the hot gases so as to condense the water. Ensure that the rate of gas production is one or two bubbles per second.
The gas in the collection jar is your laughing gas with small quantities of other nitrogen oxides.
Once your container has enough gas, stop the heating and disconnect the tubing. Cover the container with its lid or a flat sheet of glass to make it possible to turn upright.
Precautions:
- If using a thermostat controlled burner or another source, refrain from decomposing the final bit of ammonium nitrate as it will most likely overheat.
- Overexposure to this otherwise safe lab gas could cause asphyxiation. So better safety masks when performing the experiment.
- Heating higher than 240-degree centigrade could cause an explosive and dangerous detonation. So be careful.
3. Make a Sundial
This is another good experiment for older kids. Teach them how to know the time with a little help from the sun!
Stuff You Need:
- Play-Doh (to hold the stick) if you can’t find sand to poke it into
Procedure:
Step outdoors and locate a sunny area.
Push the stick into the ground or into the Play-Doh.
At different hours of the day (as per your family’s convenience), use small rocks to point out the spot where the shadow falls. You may have to do this for a few days to position rocks correctly for all the hours of the day. When you’ve done so, the sundial is ready for use.
To know the time, all it takes is to look for the position of the shadow.
As you can see, the time in the above picture is 9.15 a.m. The hours were marked with the rocks in the order 7 a.m. to 7 p.m.
4. Crystal Snowflake
This makes for an attractive decoration.
Stuff You Need:
Procedure:
Cut the pipe cleaners into 5-inch pieces. Twist three of these pieces together to create a snowflake.
To each point, add another pipe cleaner piece measuring 11/2 inch. With the help of a string, tie the flake to a pencil.
Get a jar big enough to suspend the snowflake in, in such a manner that the latter doesn’t touch the sides.
Fill the jar with 3 tablespoons borax. Introduce 1 drop blue food coloring for each cup of boiling water you pour inside the jar. Allow the snowflake to hang in the jar overnight and then remove.
5. Elephant Toothpaste
This experiment is so called because the huge stream of foam which comes out resembles toothpaste ideal for an elephant.
Stuff You Need:
- Plastic soda bottle – 16 ounce and well-cleaned
- ½ cup hydrogen peroxide liquid (20 volume)
Procedure:
First, wear safety goggles.
Pour the hydrogen peroxide carefully into the bottle and then follow it with 8 drops of the food coloring.
Next, put in 1 tablespoon of the dish soap and shake the bottle around to make sure the mixture is mixed.
In the small cup, take one tablespoon of dry yeast and add 3 tablespoons of warm water to it.
Place the bottle on top of a tray to catch the foamy toothpaste. With the help of the funnel, pour the cup mixture into the bottle. Watch as foam starts coming out of the bottle.
6. Blending Water With a Comb
Your kids will love to be able to bend water using just a comb.
Stuff You Need:
Procedure:
Let water run from the faucet in a thin but steady stream. Comb dry hair several times. Then bring the comb close to the water, holding vertically. You should be able to see the water bending toward the comb.
Chances are, once your kids have done with these experiments, they’ll be asking you for more!
Author Bio:
Ross is a blogger who loves to write especially in the Science vertical. He has written many informative Blogs. He has also written blogs in other verticals too like personal development, unique gifting blogs.
