UNIT 1: How Viruses Work

Activity – WHY DO WE WASH OUR HANDS WITH SOAP?

Learners will build models of both enveloped and non-enveloped viruses to experiment with how soap affects them.

Materials:

• Aluminum foil

• Double-sided tape

• Butter (softened)

• Butter knife

• Small plate

• Sprinkles (waxy types work best), or cracked pepper

Steps:

• Bowl

• Paper towel

• Hand soap

• Spoon

• Warm water

• Out of the aluminum foil, make 2 half-inch diameter balls. These represent the virus core.

• Cover both foil balls with double sided tape. This represents the protein shell.

• Pour a heap of sprinkles or cracked pepper onto a small plate.

• Roll ONE of the foil balls around in the sprinkles and set it aside. The sprinkles represent the attachment proteins. Does this model represent an enveloped or non-enveloped virus?

• Cover the second foil ball in butter, it should have an even layer on all sides. This represents the lipid layer in an enveloped virus.

• Roll the buttered foil ball around in the sprinkles, and the two virus models are complete!

• How are they similar or different from each other?

Testing the Viruses with Soap:

• Fill a bowl with warm water and add two squirts of hand soap.

• Mix the soapy water with a spoon until all the soap has dissolved.

• Carefully drop both virus models into the bowl with the soapy water, swirl the water gently with the spoon to make

• sure they get splashed on all sides.

• Observe the virus models for 2 minutes. What is happening to them over time?

• After 2 minutes, take the virus models out of the soapy water and place them next to each other on a dry paper towel and answer the following questions:

• Can you tell the models apart? How are they different? Which model is the non-enveloped virus, and which one is the enveloped virus?

• Given what you know about viruses, how can you explain the results?

• Repeat the experiment with cold water. How does this affect your results?