Van de Graph Generator and Static Roll

The use of the Van de Graph Generator allowed us to make hair stand up and trade shocks between people.  It also made salt showers when a bowl of salt was placed on top, the salt flew out.  We then tried to use static electricity to move empty cans with balloons without letting the balloon touch the can.

Lab Sheet:  https://docs.google.com/document/d/15hsUzCA3cO4FhYXa62GNZTILafUc-whb_xrQ8nXqVkc/edit?usp=sharing

 

 

 

 

Melting Ice

This experiment was to show salt's affect on ice.  We had paper cups filled with water and frozen so the cup part could get peeled off to reveal an ice chunk.  We then placed the ice chunks on empty pie tins and sprinkled salt over the ice.  Then, to see what the salt was doing, we added 4-5 drops of food coloring and watched where it went.  Knowing how salt and water react is important for everyone to know.  Homeowners and business owners use salt in the winter to melt the ice on sidewalks.  This is possible because salt lowers the freezing point of water so it has to be colder before the water will turn into ice.  Cooks use this knowledge as well when cooking food in water.

Helpful Website:  http://artfulparent.com/2012/07/melting-ice-science-experiment-with-salt-liquid-watercolors.html

 

Bouncy Balls and Slime

We tried to make bouncy balls, without much luck.  Some turned out, but most wouldn't keep their shape.  Even though the girls wish the bouncy balls would have turned out, I think they still enjoyed it because they liked to make messes.  When the bouncy balls failed, we found a recipe to make slime.  The ingredients were very similar to the bouncy balls, but the slime wasn't supposed to keep any shape.

Lab sheet:  https://docs.google.com/document/d/1ev3Obppspelx3Y9-zfgVEIRMhj_QluX1lKk7629nanY/edit?usp=sharing

Helpful Video:  https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NcnHwC5_ytI

Snake Bubbles- Voted 2nd favorite by the girls!

To make snake bubbles, the bottom of a water bottle was cut off and covered with a piece of fabric held on with a rubber band.  Bowls were filled with bubble solution and the girls dipped the fabric end of the bottles into the bubble solution.  Blowing through the open part of the bottle created bubbles.  Next, the girls were given food coloring to put on the fabric and repeat blowing bubbles, now colorful.  The girls tried to see who could keep the longest chain of bubbles, 'snakes'.

Other Bubble Info:
Bubbles are round because that allows using the least amount of bubble solution to encompass the greatest amount of air.  They stick together in the 'snake bubbles' because of the attraction between the Hydrogen and Oxygen atoms in the water molecules found in the bubble solution.

We also found that bubbles can bounce.  Bubbles pop because of dirt, oil, and when the bubble solution becomes too thin on the top of the bubble to hold itself together.  When blown on clean surfaces, bubbles are able to 'bounce' without popping.

Helpful Website:  http://www.stevespanglerscience.com/lab/experiments/bubble-snakes

 

 

 

 

↑ The girls were great at helping clean up!  ↑

Finished Bridges and Testing

At the end of the camp, we tested the bridges at the parent show buy tying bowls to the bridges and adding washers to the bowl. The bridge was sitting on tables with a 10in gap between them.  The bridge built by EK & Co bent and fell.  The bowl broke before the bridge for GLACH & Co.

EK & Co.

GLAcH & Co

 

 

Bridge Building

The girls put themselves into two groups to build their bridges.  Each group was given pages to design their bridge on and each girl was given a page to write their company name and predictions on.  Here are the pages I gave the girls:  https://docs.google.com/document/d/1GqhjjF2IRn3SeC_vojM8j6e9foMxB8a-Yo6R9ZWE-TM/edit?usp=sharing

Each group designed their bridge and got the design approved.  A pack of 800 toothpicks were given to each group along with glue and a pretend $400.  The girls could buy extra toothpicks at $1 apiece or regular sized popsicle sticks for $50 apiece.  The only requirement was to have the bridge be at least 12in long.

Absorbing Water Experiment Pictures

 

Recording results of water movement

 

Water movement: green seperated as blue and yellow moved at different speeds

 

 

 

 

Here's a good link for more info on this and similar experiments:  http://allforkids.tv/episode-guide/season-4/episode-37/absorbing-science/

 

Here is the labsheet I gave the girls:  https://docs.google.com/document/d/1VMIpTXgJ6irq6JB7aeIq5do-0FZzNOwRPZkwfxXyPgs/edit?usp=sharing