Science Week for Parents:
Kitchen Experiments
Introduction: Welcome to Science Week 2014 at Dale School. We hope you have a fantastic time taking a look at what your children have been learning. You can use this booklet to create your own simple kitchen experiments at home and help to further your child’s scientific knowledge. Please do not hesitate to contact your child’s class teacher if you have any questions.
or: Ma i n CoCritryiodf Yea r 6 a nd my Derby Acade l be students w il sha ring their m istr y K itchen Che ith Laborator y w pupils! pa rents a nd
Classrooms:
Each class w il l be sha ring their lea rn ing a nd k itchen ex periments fr om science week.
Upsta irs Ha ll:
Ta ke a peek at the ‘Dale Home for the Futu re’. Wander arou nd the house to see al l the in novative ideas for Science Week 2014 and ta lk to the w in ners from each year group.
A Light on the World: WHAT TO DO... Point the light directly at the globe. Move the globe downwards, from top to bottom, then side to side, keeping the light still.
You need : a globe a torch a da rk ro om
WHAT HAPPENS? The globe is illuminated at the part turned towards the source of light. The opposite side is in the dark no matter how you hold it.
Light rays travel in straight lines, they cannot curve around an object.
That is why the Sun can only shine on one side of the earth.
You need: a torch p a table la m black ca rd scissors tape a stick m a da rk roo
Stop the light: WHAT TO DO... Cut the black card into a shape of your choice and fix onto the stick with tape. Hold the shape between the beam of the torch and the room. Experiment with bringing the shape nearer the light and then back to the wall.
WHAT HAPPENS?
The closer the shape is to the torch, the bigger the shadow on the wall. The further from the shape the smaller the shadow.
When an object blocks the beam of light a shadow forms. The closer the object is to the light the more light it blocks out When the source of light is bigger than the object, the shadow that forms is dark at the centre and lighter towards the edges. The darkest part of the shadow is called the umbra and the lighter shadow is called the penumbra.
Casting Shadows: WHAT TO DO... Line up the objects in front of a wall and shine the torch on each of them in turn.
WHAT HAPPENS? Shadows form behind the book and cup. The wall is lit up behind the glass and there is a blurred halo behind the paper and fabric.
You need : a torch a book a cup a glass of wa th i n pape ter r th i n fabr ic a da rk ro om
Opaque objects (cup and book) block the light. Transparent objects (glass and water) allow the light to travel through. Translucent objects (paper and fabric) partially block the light and it spreads slightly.
Why does it rain? You need: a saucepa n w ith a lid a hob water
WHAT TO DO... Fill the saucepan with water, and ask an adult to put it on the cooker. Wait for the water to boil then hold the lid high in the cloud of steam rising from the pan.
WHAT HAPPENS?
Drops of water form under the lid.
Vapour rises from the water as it boils, this is called EVAPORATION. When it hits the cold lid it loses heat immediately and returns to it’s liquid form. This is called CONDENSATION!
True Reflections WHAT TO DO... Fold the cardboard and cut three straight slots as shown in the picture. In the dark room, switch on the torch and place behind the slots.
You need : a torch black ca r d a sma ll squa re m i r ro scissors r a da rk ro om
Place the mirror at the opposite end of the cardboard and take a look at the rays of light.
WHAT HAPPENS?
The light rays strike the mirror and each ray bounces back at an angle onto the card. Using the straight light rays allows us to see the angle of reflection or ‘angle of incidence’.
If the surface is smooth the light rays all travel in the same direction.
Blow a Surprise You need: er ap a strip of p0cm 10cm x 2 2 books
WHAT TO DO... Hold the sheet of paper under your bottom lip and blow on the top surface. This time place the 2 books about 10cm apart and place the paper on top and then blow on the paper,
WHAT HAPPENS?
On the first go the paper rises as the pressure below the paper, where the air is still, is stronger than air moving across the top. On the second one the paper sinks between the books as the air pressure underneath the paper is lighter than the air blown from above.
A Magic Blow WHAT TO DO... Blow up the balloons and tie a piece of thread around the mouth of each one.
You need : t h r ea d 2 ba l loon s a straw
Ask someone to hold both balloons in front on you (about 30cm apart). Blow through the straw between the two balloons.
WHAT HAPPENS?
The balloons move towards one another! This happens because the still air around the balloons is applying a greater pressure than the air that is blown through and so the balloons move in towards one another.
Paper Aeroplanes WHAT TO DO... Make a paper aeroplane from 1 A4 sheet - follow the drawings below. Throw the flat sheet of paper into the air and watch what happens. Now throw the paper aeroplane and watch what happens.
WHAT HAPPENS?
The flat sheet flutters and falls to the ground quickly but the paper aeroplane follows a direct path and stays in the air much longer.
The point of the aeroplane breaks through the air and the wings provide lift. The flat sheet has a wide surface area and the air above pushes it to the ground so it does not fly.
You need: 2 sheets of A4 paper
Water Rising Up WHAT TO DO... Put water in the jar and add a couple of drops of colouring to the water. Place the celery in the water and then put the jar somewhere warm.
You ne stick of c ed: (includ in eler y g leav glass ja r es) food colo uring
Slice the celery and look inside.
WHAT HAPPENS? After a few hours the celery takes on the same colour as the inky water. The water rises up through the narrow tubes in the celery and into the leaves.
‘Capillary action’ allow plants to absorb water from the ground, through their roots and up to their leaves.
Flowers Float on Water WHAT TO DO... Draw the shape below, colour it in and cut it out. Fold in the edges along the dotted lines. Carefully place the flower on the water.
You need:
paper colou red penci ls scissors a la rge bowl of water
WHAT HAPPENS? The flower slowly begins to open. This happens as the tiny water droplets soak into the empty spaces between the paper fibres. The fibres swell up, including the ones along the folds, and they push outwards.
‘Capillary action’ also occurs between paper fibres!
Soapy Water WHAT TO DO... Fill the bowl with water and sprinkle talcum powder onto the surface.
You ne
ta lcu m p ed: owd liqu id soa er a la rge b p owl of water
Dip your finger into the water as if you’re making holes. Now put a drop of liquid soap on your finger. Try making holes in the talcum powder with your soapy finger.
WHAT HAPPENS?
On the first attempt a hole appears and then disappears again quickly as your finger is removed. When you try again with the soapy finger the soap loosens the tension of the water, preventing the water molecules from rejoining and leaving holes in the talcum powder on the surface. To repeat the experiment you will have to change the water.
Water and Heat WHAT TO DO... Fill the bowl with cold water. Put a few drops of colour in the jar and fill with hot (not boiling) water and put the lid on.
You need:
a sma ll glass ja r w ith a lid a see-th rough bo wl food colou ri ng water
Put the jar in the cold water (make sure it is covered by the water) and remove the lid.
WHAT HAPPENS?
The coloured water escapes into the bowl and rises to the top - spreading upwards and outwards across the surface. After a few moments it begins to mix with the rest of the cold water and sink to the bottom.
When the water molecules heat up they begin to move faster and spread out, this makes them lighter than the more dense cold water molecules, so they rise to the top.
Salt Crystals WHAT TO DO... Pour water into the glasses and mix salt into both. Link the two glasses with a thread, so that both ends dip well into the water. Put the plate in between the glasses, below the thread.
WHAT HAPPENS?
: You need lt a table s s e two glass otton c of a leng th l plate l a sm a a spoon water
After a day or so, the salt water rises along the thread and once the water has evaporated the salt crystals are left to form on the thread and fall onto the plate.
The Effect of Brine WHAT TO DO...
You need:
table sa lt a la rge g a desser t lass spoon a n eg g THE EGG SINKS! a t e a sp oo n water Take the egg out and add 10 tablespoons Half fill the glass with water and, using the dessert spoon, carefully put the egg in the water.
of salt, mixing until dissolved. Now you have made brine.
Put the egg in the water again. THE EGG FLOATS! Take the egg out again and slowly pour more water into the glass until it is full and put the egg in the water again. THE EGG REMAINS SUSPENDED IN THE CENTRE OF THE GLASS!
The egg is more dense than the water so it sinks. The brine is more dense than the clear water so the egg can float. Finally, the clear water floats on the brine so the egg stays in the middle. All substances which have a lower density than water will float!
Hot and Cold Air WHAT TO DO... Inflate the balloon slightly and place around the neck of the bottle. Hold the bottle for a minute or two in the hot water and watch the balloon inflate.
You need a ba l loon : a n empty a la rge b bottle ow hot wate l of r
Now run the cold water tap on the balloon and watch the balloon deflate.
Air is made up of tiny, moving particles called molecules. Heat makes molecules move more quickly and apart from one another. When this happens the air inside the balloon needs more space so it inflates!
(ta ke ca r e!)
A Question of Shape WHAT TO DO... Fill the bowl with water. Mould the clay into a flat shape and place it on the water. Now roll the clay into a ball and place on the water again.
You ne model li n ed: a saucep g clay a bowl of a n lid water
Now place the saucepan lid on the water, first horizontally and then vertically.
WHAT HAPPENS?
The flat clay and lid float, while the ball and vertical lid sink.
The more water that is displaced by an object (wide and flat objects) the more thrust the object gets, pushing it towards the top and the more able it is to float.
Created for Dale Primary School