FLYING TISSUE PAPER EXPERIMENT

Kids love science, it is never dull. Create magic with science using static electricity. Kids will love being able to show their friends this great science trick and have them guessing why the reaction happened, and how.

YOU WILL NEED

• tissue 
• paper 
• scissors 
• comb 

PROCEDURE

1. Cut the tissue paper into squares of 2cm by 2cm.

2. Run the comb through your hair about 15 times.

3. Immediately hold the comb directly above the tissue paper and watch the paper fly!


EXPLANATORY NOTE
The paper is pulled up by the comb through static electricity.

RESOURCE
http://www.kidspot.com.au/kids-activities-and-games/Science-experiments+10/Science-experiment-Flying-tissue-paper

MAKE YOUR OWN PARACHUTE

YOU WILL NEED:

• A plastic bag or light material
• Scissors
• String
• A small object to act as the weight, a little action figure would be perfect

PROCEDURE:

1. Cut out a large square from your plastic bag or material.
2. Trim the edges so it looks like an octagon (an eight sided shape).
3. Cut a small whole near the edge of each side.
4. Attach 8 pieces of string of the same length to each of the holes.
5. Tie the pieces of string to the object you are using as a weight.
6. Use a chair or find a high spot to drop your parachute and test how well it worked, remember that you want it to drop as slow as possible.

EXPLANATORY NOTE

Hopefully your parachute will descend slowly to the ground, giving your weight a comfortable landing. When you release the parachute the weight pulls down on the strings and opens up a large surface area of material that uses air resistance to slow it down. The larger the surface area the more air resistance and the slower the parachute will drop.

Cutting a small hole in the middle of the parachute will allow air to slowly pass through it rather than spilling out over one side, this should help the parachute fall straighter.

RESOURCE

http://www.sciencekids.co.nz/experiments/freefall.html

MAKE YOUR OWN KALEIDOSCOPE

YOU WILL NEED

1. Paper towel tube cut eight inches (20 centimeters) long 
2. Clear plastic report cover 
3. Ruler 
4. Pen or marker 
5. Paring knife or art utility knife 
6. Four-inch (ten-centimeter) squares (one each) of black construction paper, plastic wrap, and waxed paper 
7. Scissors 
8. Rubber band 
9. Clear tape 
10. Colored transparent beads, small sequins, and shiny confetti 
11. Stickers and wrapping paper 

PROCEDURE

Draw an 8-by-4-inch (20-by-10-centimeter) rectangle on the report cover. Cut it out. Draw three lines across the rectangle as shown.


Fold the plastic along the lines to form a triangular shape. The quarter-inch (.6-centimeter) strip goes on the outside. Tape the strip along the edge so it stays closed.



Slide the plastic triangle into the paper towel roll.


Turn the paper towel tube on one end. Trace a circle around it on the construction paper. Poke a hole through the center of the circle and tape it over one end of the tube.



Place a square of plastic wrap on the other end of the tube. Press down to create a pouch in the end of the plastic triangle. Put some beads, sequins, and confetti in the pouch.



Place a square of waxed paper over the pouch. Stretch the rubber band over both the waxed paper and the plastic wrap. Be sure it’s on tight so nothing spills out!



Trim the corners of the squares. Decorate the outside of the paper towel roll with stickers or wrapping paper.



Hold the tube up to one eye and look through it. Turn it and watch your own light show!

EXPLANATORY NOTE
Light travels in a straight line through empty space, but when it bumps into an object, it changes direction. Some shiny surfaces, like the plastic report cover or a mirror, send or reflect light back to you. (Think of a ball bouncing off a wall.) The sides of the plastic tube inside the kaleidoscope reflect the beads, sequins, and confetti. The reflections bounce back and forth from side to side creating multiple images. When you turn the kaleidoscope, the pieces move, and you see a different design.


Resources: http://kids.nationalgeographic.com/kids/activities/funscience/be-dazzled/

LAVA IN A CUP

You will Need:

•  A clear drinking glass
• 1/4 cup vegetable oil
• 1 teaspoon salt
• Water
• Food coloring (optional)

Procedure 

Fill the glass about 3/4 full of water .
Add about 5 drops of food coloring - I like red for the lava look.
Slowly pour the vegetable oil into the glass. See how the oil floats on top - cool huh? It gets better.
Now the fun part: Sprinkle the salt on top of the oil.
Watch blobs of lava move up and down in your glass!
If you liked that, add another teaspoon of salt to keep the effect going.


Explanatory Note:
So what's going on? Of course, it's not real lava but it does look a bit like a lava lamp your parents may have had. First of all, the oil floats on top of the water because it is lighter than the water. Since the salt is heavier than oil, it sinks down into the water and takes some oil with it, but then the salt dissolves and back up goes the oil! Pretty cool huh?

Resource: 

www.sciencebob.com/experiments

NERVE TESTER

Key idea: An electric circuit is a complete (unbroken) path that forms a loop.

You will need:
• a coathanger (or thinner but stiff wire), bent into a crazy wave shape and
  fastened into a wooden board
• a buzzer
• a battery
• connecting wire.

Procedure:

1. Construct a circuit, designed so that a player’s nerve is tested as they attempt to pass a loop along this wire without touching.
2. A buzzer rings if the loop touches the wire.
3. The circuit is completed when the loop touches the wire.
4. The game becomes more difficult if the loop is made smaller.