Science Experiments

A collection of science experiments you can try at home.

Materials:

Instructions:

Put the vase inside the plastic tub
Place 2-3 Tablespoons of baking soda in the bottom of the vase
Add 6-7 drops of food coloring to the vase
Add 1-2 teaspoons of glitter to the vase
Predict what will happen once you add the vinegar
Quickly pour in about ½ cup of vinegar to the vase. Watch for the sparkly explosion!
Repeat the experiment (you do not need to add more baking soda to the vase, just vinegar. The baking soda should last you 2-3 “explosions”) – but allow the kids to change the variables – add salt, soap, etc. and see if that changes the reaction.
Predict how the new variable(s) will change the reaction prior to adding in the vinegar

How it works:

The baking soda (sodium bicarbonate) is a base while the vinegar (acetic acid) is an acid. A chemical reaction between vinegar and baking soda creates a compound called carbonic acid which is very unstable, and instantly breaks apart into water and carbon dioxide. Carbon dioxide is the gas that creates the volcanoes fizzing, as it escapes the solution.
Did you know Carbon dioxide is also the gas that is used to create soda?

Materials:

Instructions:

Add equal parts of liquid starch and glue (1/4 cup of each) and three drops of liquid food coloring into a Ziploc bag
Mix for two to three minutes until the mixture becomes solid (Note: there might be a little bit of liquid left over in the Ziploc, this is fine, just remove the solid blob of slime and discard the bag

Tips:

Keep the slime sealed in the baggie or airtight container for it to last longer
If you get slime on the carpet or clothing you can remove it with white vinegar. For clothing soak the affected are in vinegar for a minute then rub to dissolve. Wash and dry as usual

How it works:

Glue is a liquid polymer made up of long, repeating, and identical strands. This means that the tiny molecules in the glue are in strands like a chain. When you add the liquid starch, the strands of the polymer glue hold together, giving it a slimy feel. The liquid starch contains sodium borate and acts as a cross-linker that connects all the long strands together. They mix until the substance is less like the liquid you started with and thicker and rubberier like slime!

Materials:

Instructions:

Pour your milk into the bottom of the baking dish. You don’t need a lot, just enough to completely cover the bottom of the dish
Add multiple drops of food coloring to the top of the milk (best to use 2-3 different colors, 3-4 drops of each color)
Pour a small amount of dish soap into your cup/bowl. Take one of your cotton swaps and dip one side into the dish soap. You don’t need to completely cover the entire swab with soap
Take the coated cotton swab over to your milk dish and gently touch the surface of the milk with the soapy Q-tip and watch the chemical reaction take place

How it works:

Milk is made up of minerals, proteins, and fats. Proteins and fats are susceptible to changes. When the dish soap is added to the milk, those molecules run around and try to attach to the fat molecules in the milk. You wouldn’t see this without the food coloring! The food coloring looks like fireworks because it’s getting bumped around! The soap heads for the fats creating the cool bursting of color. When there is no more movement, all the fat molecules have been found.

Date