Mad Science Camp: Power Balls Kit

I know, I know!  A kit?  Look at the first photo; it was $0.99 at a yard sale.  Here are the general instructions.  We were studying polymers; bouncy balls are fun.  Here, here, and here are kits with molds.  Expect to pay about $10 for a larger kit.  These are different from ordinary diy bouncy balls or these polymer balls. When I do polymers at Camp, I just cave and buy a kit.  The limiting factor is the number of molds.   Bounce it outside after the ball dries.  It will break into a billion crystal bits.

How does your garden grow?

The container garden on the deck is flourishing.  The tomato plants are thriving in the grocery bags.  Take a look!

Mad Science Camp: Elephant’s Toothpaste

There are two versions of Elephant’s Toothpaste: a kid version and an adult supervised or demo-ed version.  (The Magic Genie demo is similar—without dish soap.). The kid version is fine for camp.  Squirt a little food dye along the sides of the bottle or graduated cylinders to make ‘striped’ foam or toothpaste.  Let your kids try the experiment with warm and cold dish soap solution.  Paul microwaved the dish soap for ten seconds.  (Open the lid to release the air.  Oops!  The solution gets very warm!). It reacts for several minutes.  The hydrogen peroxide breaks down into water and oxygen gases, captured in the dish soap foam.  Take a look.

                                  

Science Equipment

I buy most of my science equipment (and textbooks for that matter) used.  Right now, prices for used equipment (and used textbooks) is rising.  More home-schoolers?  Good Will has listings for glassware.  (Search ‘beaker’ on the website.). Take an inventory of your equipment and supplies.  Remember, Home Science Tools always has fair prices, especially on individual pieces of equipment, such as a beaker.  I’m assembling kits for Fall to send home with my students.  

What comprises basic equipment?  Here is a list of basics: a digital scale, cupcake papers (to use as weigh paper),  graduated cylinders and beakers,   thermometer, a reaction plate (or paint paletes), pipettes, a scoop, a test tube set, safety glasses, craft sticks (to stir), a plastic funnel, and hot hands—silicone pot holder.  Glass beakers, graduated cylinders, conductivity meters, and  ring stand set are nice to have.  However, you can get by with the basics.  Save your money for the chemicals.  Keep an eye out for used Chem kits.  Add up the contents before you bid!  

Mad Science Camp: Alka-Seltzer Fireworks

Today we are doing Alka-Seltzer Fireworks.  We are continuing our July 4th theme.  We used film canisters, Alka-Selzer tablets, and paint.  The key is to work quickly.  Add the paint to the film canister, drop the tablet, snap on the lid, invert, and step back.  Wait a bit.  I’ve done Alka-Selzer rockets before without the paint.  You could mix baking soda and citric acid to use instead of tablets.  But, it’s easier to drop in a tablet than try to pour in a powder mixture. You can see in the video we did several trials.  We had issues with snapping the lid shut. Use a bit of paint, half a canister of water, and half an Alka-Seltzer tablet.  The noise in the background is the street pavers.  Yes, the air-conditioning is still out. Both factor into our lack of patience.   Take a look.

Lego Boost Update

Our little household is all about STEM.  Paul, ten, understands coding intuitively.  (Not surprisingly, his daddy, Ken, is a software engineer.).  Ken wants Paul to code everyday and bought Lego Boost.  (Amazon has Lego Boost in stock.). We have been working through the builds and programs.  The robot was good; kitty was a pain.  My husband, Rob, and I sort pieces.  He just assembled the guitar and is programming it.  Lego Boost is a great toy if your child likes both Legos and coding.  Paul and Rob play guitar.  They are trying to program real songs into the Lego Boost guitar.  Here are photos.  

Mad Science Camp: Star Wars Jedi Force Levitator

Today we field-tested the Star Wars Jedi Force Levitator.  They run about $20 on eBay.  Summer is not the best time for anything static, especially during a heat wave with 100% relative humidity.  Hey!  We decided to try it despite the humidity.  We did an extreme test in the basement.  The air conditioning failed on Saturday, July 4th.  It still works!  Pretty cool!  We’ll try it again when it’s cool and dry.  This is great for Camp—as a demo.  Kids need to take turns.

This project would dovetail well with Snap Circuits, Floating Magnetic Rings, Remote Control Roller, Levitating Orbs, and Eddy Tubes.  Call it Science Magic.  Be sure to do the static experiments on a dry day, indoors, with a dehumidifier—or wait until winter.  

Mad Science Camp: CSI

CSI is a time-tested theme for Camp.  It’s a good biology theme, too. Here is an entire page of ideas.  Here  is CSI on a Shoestring.  Start with DNA Extraction with split peas.  With older kids, we test different detergents and alcohols, everything from shampoo to laundry detergents.  With younger kids, use Dawn and rubbing alcohol.  The key is fresh meat tenderizer.  Now take and examine fingerprints.  You need index cards and a stamp pad. Here is a one page guide.  If you have enough funds, test blood types with Eldon Cards.  A good price is about $5 for each card.  Another good lab is Paper Chromatography.  Collect several different brands of black pens.  Write a note with one of the pens and see if the kids can determine the pen.  One last resource—this Epic CSI Program.  Wow!

Young Explorers Chemistry and Physics: Fireworks, Colors, and Names

We are going to learn more about elements.  This week, we are starting with an article about fireworks.  Next, Paul is creating a chart naming the chemical compounds in fireworks.  Our goal is to learn the names of elements, learn how to name compounds, and see if Paul can balance equations.  We shall see.  I did the first Periodic Table  quiz.  Paul had to memorize 1-10.  Spelling is optional in the first round.  See below.

Mad Science Camp: July 4th!

Let me put together a July 4th post with science ideas.  First, here is an article and lesson about fireworks; this is definitely School, not camp.  Here is a whole page of chemistry articles, labs, etc—all School.  FYI, Underwater Fireworks sounds great, but was a bust when my AP Chem class tried it.  The lab was costly and underwhelming.  Alia-Seltzer Fireworks look promising.  Exploding paint?  Might be messy.  Elephant’s Toothpaste makes a good demo.  This version uses concentrated hydrogen peroxide—available at a beauty supply store.  I taught Chem for many years and am comfortable using 30% hydrogen peroxide.  You may want to do Kid Friendly Elephant’s Toothpaste with 3% hydrogen peroxide from the grocery store.  Just squirt red and blue tempera down the sides of the bottle to make it patriotic.  You could  make Red, White, and Blue baking soda and vinegar reactions.  Tint clear soda red and blue and make Mentos and Coke Geysers.  Even when kids have done a reaction, they seem to like a variation on a theme.  Make a red white and blue CD Spinner.  Okay, one last idea: the Patriotic Colors Kit.  Here are detailed lab instructions.  Make Colorful Lather Prints like these Patriotic Fireworks.  Go for it!

Young Explorers Chemistry and Physics: Names, Formulas, and Ionic Compounds

Poor Paul.  He’s ten.  His daddy and Pop-Pop believe it’s time to memorize the Periodic Table and learn to name and write formulas.  Okaaayyy.  First, he’s writing the names and symbols for about 40 elements.  I’ll test him in batches.  I have two more projects: Periodic Table Cards and Hands-on Ions.  Additionally, Paul can build compounds with the Molymod sets.  Right now Paul’s writing the symbols and names.  This process will take a bit because he’s young.  I’ll keep you posted on his progress.