My Girl Scout troop knows that I like fire. I love to watch the flames of a candle or campfire - I find them mesmerizing. Did you know that fire is the result of a chemical reaction? Not all chemicals react when brought together, but many do. In the case of a candle, the candle wax and the air are reacting to produce the flame you see and the heat that flame produces. A key point of a chemical reaction is that you can not put the two chemicals back the way they were - you can't "unburn" the candle. That's how you know it's a chemical reaction instead of a physical change. Have fun exploring Candle Science!
Kid Tip - Fire is an amazing chemical reaction when done appropriately and safely. You MUST ask your parents before conducting this experiment! And if you have long hair, be sure to tie it back.
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I found this awesome Periodic Table of Science Experiments at Science Sparks. You might have fun working through it with your kids. If you click on the picture below it will download a clickable pdf. The various "elements" will link to a Science Sparks page explaining the experiment. Many of these use household materials, many do not. But you can find the materials on Amazon if you are willing to place an order.
Have fun with this great resource! I love it when science looks like magic. Kids can put together a magic show just with this type of science project. In this one, we let chemistry do the "magic" for us to blow up a regular balloon. Kids from Kindergarten through 8th grade have lit up doing this activity! It's always fun to see who can get the biggest reaction (aka the biggest balloon). Have fun!
I have a degree in Geology so of course I love crystals. They are so beautiful in their myriad of colors, shapes, and sizes. The most common type of crystals we see are ice crystals (solid water). The kind of crystals you see in rocks (like those in geodes) form under very specific conditions where molten rock cools slowly over a long time.
In today's experiment you will made a kind of crystal that still grows slowly, but over days, not years. And best of all, you can eat it! In this experiment you will be growing sugar crystals. For a bit more fun you can add a flavoring or color, but neither are needed as sugar is great just by itself. Make sure you do not skip the first step - getting some sugar crystals to attach to your stick - crystals need something to start growing on and then they repeat that initial pattern as they form. |
You Can Continue to Earn the Patches over the SUmmer!
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Every school day I will post a new experiment for you to try at home. Some may be familiar to you - as they are my favorites from class - but most will be experiments I found on the web that have readily available materials. Happy Sciencing! Earn a Patch
Sunol Glen Students - Complete an additional 10 experiments (20 total) from this site and I will send you this patch: Parents - just email me when students have completed a challenge, no proof required. Categories |