Spooky Science

WRITTEN BY QUINCY BALIUS

Happy Halloween! Get ready for some spooky science with easy activities you can do at home courtesy of the Montana Science Center, a Bozeman nonprofit that provides interactive STEM learning opportunities to the Montana community and beyond.

Activity #1: Frankenstein’s Hand

First up is Frankenstein’s Hand, an homage to the famous doctor and his monster. This year is the 225th anniversary of Mary Shelley’s birth and the 204th anniversary of Frankenstein’s publication. It’s a great Halloween year to celebrate Frankenstein.

In this activity you will generate a chemical reaction to create a spooky monster hand. The reaction will produce a gas that will inflate the glove and cause it to rise up from the cup. It’s (almost) alive!

Set-Up:

Gather cups, baking soda, vinegar, rubber gloves and rubber bands. Set up measuring spoons nearby to measure your ingredients. This activity can get messy, so take it outside or use a washable surface.

Materials List:

1. Measuring spoons

2. Vinegar

3. Baking soda

4. Plastic cups

5. Vinyl or latex gloves

6. Rubber bands

Try This:

» Add 3 Tablespoons of vinegar to the cup

» Add 2 Tablespoons of baking soda to the fingers of the rubber glove

» Carefully stretch the open end of the rubber glove around the top of the cup

» Secure the glove with a rubber band

» Pull the glove upright to release the baking soda into the cup

» Step back and watch the glove inflate

Go Further:

» Vinegar is an acid, and baking soda is a base. When you mix baking soda and vinegar together you create a chemical reaction that releases carbon dioxide gas.

The gas fills the rubber glove and causes it to inflate. The glove will stay inflated throughout the reaction. The length of time that the glove is inflated will depend on how tight the seal between the glove and the cup is.

Activity #2: Flying Tea Bag Ghosts

Halloween is all about spooks – and what’s spookier than ghosts? In this second activity, you will explore density, thermodynamics and heat transfer. You will create a thermal convection current that will help your tea bag ghost lift off and fly away.

Set-Up:

Set out your surface protector. You’ll use this to protect your surfaces from stains when you decorate your tea bag ghosts. Set out your other materials, including tea bags, scissors, markers and your heat-proof surface. Make sure to have a discussion about fire safety. Young children should not be allowed to use lighters, and children should always be supervised when using fire in science experiments.

Materials List:

1. Tea bags (note: use tea bags with fold-over tags)

2. Scissors

3. Markers

4. Lighter

5. Baking sheet or other heat-proof surface 6. Surface protector

Try This:

» Snip off the top of the tea bag, including the string and tag, and remove it. Carefully snip the string holding the tag of the tea bag and remove it

» Fold open the tea bag and empty out the tea

» Smooth the tea bag out and set it on top of your surface protector. Decorate your tea bag to create your spooky ghost

» Open up the tea bag into a tube shape and stand it up on the heat-proof surface

» Light the top of the tea bag with a lighter

» Step back and prepare for lift-off

» The flame should burn down your tea bag.

When it reaches the base, your ghost will take flight

» The ashy remains of your ghost should float back down to your heat-proof surface

Go Further:

» Setting the tea bag on fire causes the air molecules inside the tea bag to become energized and move around rapidly. The heat from the fire causes the molecules to spread out as they move more rapidly. Therefore, the air inside the tea bag is less dense.

These air molecules expand and spread up and outside of the tea bag.

The air outside the tea bag is colder and denser in comparison to the air inside the bag. Warm, less dense air rises above cold, dense air. The density difference between the two air temperatures causes the tea bag ghost to fly. Warmer air moves up and colder air moves in to replace it, which forms a thermal convection current and lifts up your tea bag.

» The tea bag will continue to rise until it reaches an area with colder and denser air. Then, it will float back down to your heat-proof surface.

Enjoy these at-home activities and mark your calendar for Spooky Science at the Montana Science Center on October 29 from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. They will have handson science experiments and related crafts at the Science Station. Wear your costume for an extra sweet treat! Check out montanasciencecenter.org/ for information on exhibits, programs, camps and other offerings.

The Montana Science Center’s mission is to “provide hands-on learning experiences in science and technology that inspire creativity, innovation and lead to real-world application.” They accomplish this mission through interactive exhibits and programs that generate experiential learning opportunities for all ages.

Quincy Balius is the Education Coordinator at the Montana Science Center.