Grapes, good golly!

Hey guys!
We hope you've been enjoying the summer. We figure you might have hit a lull in activity, so thought we'd see if we could help. We found a couple of things to try at home, just ask an adult for permission first, and have a "grape" time!

Sparking Grapes

You need:
White grapes
Knife
Microwave-safe plate
Microwave oven

1. Slice the grape down the center toward the stem, but not all the way through. The two halves should just be attached by a tiny piece of grape skin.
2. Place the two grape halves face down on the plate.
3. Set the microwave for 20 seconds. Turn it on and watch the sparks fly.

What happened? The oven produces microwaves, which are a type of electromagnetic radiation. All electromagnetic waves create a changing electric field, which will cause electrons to move. (Electrons are negatively charged particles located around the nucleus of the atom and everything in the world is made up of atoms, so everything has electrons.) Moving electrons through a thin conductor will give you light just like a filament in a light bulb. In this activity the thin flap of grape left is a conductor, and the microwaves make electrons move through it.

It's Not a Shoe Box! It's a Catapult!

You Need:
Duct or packing tape
Long plastic spoon
Shoebox
Rubber bands
Grapes (or any small item)
Outdoor area

1. Tape the bottom of the spoon to the end of a shoebox. The concave part of the spoon should face along the side of the box.
2. Loop one end of the rubber band around the spoon and tape the rubber band to the middle of the spoon. Tape the other end of the rubber band to the side of the shoebox. Make sure you've got a good stretch on your rubber band, so there's tension. (To increase tension, use a smaller rubber band, or loop it around the spoon a couple of times.)
3. Use one hand to hold the shoebox. Use the other hand to load the grape on the spoon and pull back on the spoon. Let it go and launch the grape. How far did it go?
4. Adjust the position of the rubber band so it stretches farther, creating greater tension. How does this change the launch? What happens if you use more than one rubber band?

What's going on? Whether they're built to launch grapes at targets or boulders at castle walls, all catapults work because of elastic materials. Here you're using the elasticity of the rubber band to store energy in your catapult. You put the energy in your catapult. You put the energy in the rubber band by pulling the spoon back with your hand. That energy goes into the grape and becomes kinetic energy. So the grape flies!

ideas from Smash It! Crash It! Launch It! 50 Mind-Blowing Eye-Popping Science Experiments

Watch for the date of our next Science Fair!

Stay tuned for the date for the 2011 Science Fair!

Springtime fun with variables

Peeps, a traditional springtime treat are everywhere in stores now. These marshmellow chicks can be fun to test variables on. How does a Peep react to cold? to heat? to being immersed in boiling water?

Below is a website where these variables were tested in a somewhat scientific manner. You can make science a lot of fun by using creativity and pursuing questions that interest you.

http://www.peepresearch.org/

Miscellaneous Science Fun

Here are some science fun suggestions that don't fit into the other categories.

Movie Science by Jim Wiese J778.53

Sandbox scientist : real science activities for little kids by Michael E. Ross 372.3504 ROSS

Bubble monster and other science fun by John H. Falk 507.8 BUBBLE

How to fossilize your hamster : and other amazing experiments for the armchair scientist by Mick O'Hare 507.8 OHARE

365 simple science experiments with everyday materials by E. Richard Churchill J 507.8 CHURCHI

Rocket science : 50 flying, floating, flipping, spinning gadgets kids create themselves by Jim Wiese J 507.8 WIESE

Balloons : building and experimenting with inflatable toys by Bernie Zubrowski J 507.8 ZUBROWS

While you're waiting for the food to come : a tabletop science activity book : experiments and tricks that can be done at a restaurant, the dining room table, or wherever food is served by Eric

Muller J 507.8 MULLER

You gotta try this! : absolutely irresistible science by Vicki Cobb and Kathy Darling J 507.8 COBB

Football and Science

Hey, so the SuperBowl is over and it will be a while before the Seahawks take the field, but that's no reason to stop thinking about football. A statistics class at the University of Washington wanted to know if a football travels farther or stays in the air longer when it is filled with something other than air. Check out the link to the Seattle Times report for some good science.

http://seattletimes.nwsource.com/html/localnews/2011238040_heliumfootballs03m.html

Doesn't it make you wonder how to make a baseball travel farther, or a soccer ball go faster or how to get the volleyball just over the net?

The Sweetest Rainbow!

With spring approaching, we can all look forward to seeing a few rainbows. How would you feel about drinking one? Try this at home and let us know how it goes.
Line up five glasses. Add 1 tablespoon (15 g) of sugar to the first glass, 2 tablespoons (30 g) of sugar to the second glass, 3 tablespoons of sugar (45 g) to the third glass, and 4 tablespoons of sugar (60 g) to the fourth glass. The fifth glass remains empty.
Add 3 tablespoons (45 ml) of water to each of the first 4 glasses. Stir each solution. If the sugar does not dissolve in any of the four glasses, then add one more tablespoon (15 ml) of water to each of the four glasses.
Add 2-3 drops of red food coloring to the first glass, yellow food coloring to the second glass, green food coloring to the third glass, and blue food coloring to the fourth glass. Stir each solution.
Now let's make a rainbow using the different density solutions. Fill the last glass about one-fourth full of the blue sugar solution.
Carefully layer some green sugar solution above the blue liquid. Do this by putting a spoon in the glass, just above the blue layer touching the side of the glass, and pouring the green solution slowly over the spoon. If you do this right, you won't disturb the blue solution much at all. Add green solution until the glass is about half full.
Now layer the yellow solution above the green liquid, using the spoon. Fill the glass to three-quarters full.
Finally, layer the red solution above the yellow liquid. Fill the glass the rest of the way.
Tips and science stuff: With this demonstration you are exploring density. The liquids you have layered are all miscible or mixable and will eventually bleed into one another. If you stir up your solution what happens? Try not to add extra water to dissolve the sugar, instead warm the water in the microwave (30 seconds should work) or start with warm water. Want more fun? Use sweetened juice mix instead of sugar for a tasty treat.

The science fair is coming! Check out the questions around campus or on the science fair blog (http://schoolsciencefair.blogspot.com/). Come visit with a mentor after school Monday through Thursday or during lunch recess Tuesday through Thursday starting 23 March. We want your help and participation. Sign up to mentor kids, set up or clean up for the 16 April event or bring your own idea. Contact Amy Oliver amyroliver@gmail.com.

Kitchen Science Experiments Suggestions

Here are a few suggestions for science experiments in the kitchen!

Kitchen science by Shar Levine & Leslie Johnstone J 507.8 LEVINE

Reading Rainbow: How to make an apple pie and see the world J DVD HOW118
Based on a book of the same title by Marjorie Priceman

Kitchen science by Chris Maynard J 507.8 MAYNARD

Science projects about kitchen chemistry by Robert Gardner J 540.78 GARDNER

Simple kitchen experiments : learning science with everyday foods by Muriel Mandell J 641.3 MANDELL

Science experiments you can eat by Vicki Cobb J 507 COBB

Lotions, potions, and slime : mudpies and more! by Nancy Blakey J 790.1922 BLAKEY

The science chef : 100 fun food experiments and recipes for kids by Joan D'Amico and Karen Eich Drummond J 641.3 DAMICO

Liquids in action by Peter Mellett, Jane Rossiter J 532.0078 MELLETT

Magic School Bus: Gets Baked in a Cake by Linda Beech J 540 BEECH