Flame thrower

You will need a large plastic water cooler, soem propan-1-ol, several wooden splints and a box of matches. Swill the water cooler out with a small amount of propan-1-ol and tip the excess out. Light the vapour using a lit wooden splint and stand well back. See below for a demonsatration:

Interested in Infectious Diseases?

If you are interested in diseases such as Ebola or are teaching about these diseases to a year 8 class, check out my article below:

www.associatedcontent.com/article/1428323/infectious_diseases_lesson.html

Mentos Geyser

You will need a roll of Mentos mints and a 2-litre bottle of diet Coke or Pepsi. Either diet or regular Coke/Pepsi will work for this experiment, but diet pop is less sticky when you're cleaning it up!

This activity is probably best done outside or somewhere where it is easy to mop! Carefully open the bottle of Coke. Position the bottle on the ground so that it will not tip over. Unwrap the whole roll of Mentos sweets. The idea is to drop all of the Mentos into the bottle of pop at the same time. One method for doing this is to roll a piece of paper into a tube just big enough to hold the loose Mentos. You'll want to be able to position the tube directly over the mouth of the bottle so that all of the sweets drop into the bottle at the same time. Sstand well back and drop all of the Mentos into the bottle at the same time and then move rapidl outof the way!

Carry out a heart dissection either as a demonstration or as a class practical using my worksheet.

Balloons

Why not have fun with your vocal chords. Im sure you have tried inhaling helium from a balloon but why not try carbon dioxide? It has the opposite effect-try it and find out!........

Methane bubbles

You will need a piece of rubber tubing, a 2 litre pop bottle, scissors, washing up liquid, a metre ruler, wooden splints sellotape and matches.


Firstly attach a wooden splint to the end of a metre ruler using sellotape. then cut the pop bottle down the middle. You only need the half that has the pouring end on it so you can dispose of the other part. You need to make a solution of 2 parts washing up liquid to one part water. Remove the cap off the bottle and place the rubber tubing inside attaching the other end to the gas tap. Pinch the tubing and place the washing up pre mixed solution into the half bottle so it is to a depth of about 10cm. Turn on the gas slowly. This should make the solution bubble and the bubbles should begin to rise into the air. Light the splint using the a match and ignite a bubble at arms length!

Making slime using Borax and PVA glue

You will need:


Borax
White Glue
Water
and food Colouring (optional)



Take a cup of water and add to it 1 Tbs. of borax (approx 4% solution). Stir until completely dissolved. Then make a 50% water 50% white glue solution. Take 1/4 cup of each and mix thoroughly. In a beaker, add equal parts of the borax solution to equal parts of the glue solution. 1/2 cup of each will make a cup of slime. Add a couple drops of food colouring. Stir and knead the mixture. Your slime is now ready. Remember to wash your hands after playing.

Boiling water below 100 degrees celsius

Take a drinks bottle with a metal lid. Place an thermometer inside the bottle and fill it just below the lid with boiling water and place the lid on tightly. Place ice cubes on top of the lid to cool down the water. The water will start to boil in the vacuum just below the lid. Keep placing ice cubes on there to cool the water and see how low you can get the temperature with the water still boiling.

Volcano

Melt a red candle in the bottom of a large beaker and allow to cool. Place a few cm depth of sand on top and then carefully fill with water to the top. Place this ontop of a tripod and gauze and heat strongly with a Bunsen burner. It should erupt like a real underwater volcano!

Chip Pan Fire Experiment

You will need a crucible, tripod, pipe clay triange, heat proof mat, candle and a Bunsen burner along with a pipette and a safety screen. Cut off a small piece of candle to fit in the crucible using a knife. Place the crucible on top of the tripod suspended by the pipe clay triangle. Heat strongly using a bunsen burner until molten. Keep heating until the wax catches fire. Then squirt on water using the pipette. You should get a huge fire ball as the water gets superheated as it sinks below the wax due to it being more dense.

Alka Seltzer rocket

You need some old film cannisters and lids along with some alkaseltzer tablets and a bit of plasticine or blu tack. Put a piece of plasticine on the inside of the lid and then break the tablet in half and push it into the plasticine so it cannot come out. Put a small amount of water in the film cannister about 1/4 full. Place the lid on tightly and then invert the whole thing. Wait whilst the water reacts with the tablet and when enough carbon dioxide gas is made the pressure will build up and the rocket will launch. You can investigate different amounts of water and the height that the rocket goes.....

The Howling Jelly Baby Experiment

You will need a boiling tube, Clamp stand, oven gloves, boss and clamp, Bunsen burner, balance, spatula, face shield/ goggles, Safety screen(s) , tongs, several heat proof mats, Potassium chlorate and a jelly baby. Clamp the tube at a slight angle to the vertical and place the clamp stand on the heat proof mats surrounded by safety screens. Weigh out 12 grams of potassium chlorate (use a maximum of 15g) into the tube and heat strongly from underneath using a Bunsen burner. Place the jelly baby in the tube using tongs and oven gloves for protection only when the potassium chlorate is fully molten and stand well back. Heat and light should be given out along with a lot of smoke.

Take care that the tube is pointing away from spectators as the jelly baby may be ejected from the tube. Also note that 15g of potassium chlorate is the maximum that is allowed to be used in a school. Also ensure that the boiling tube is clean as a contamination could cause an explosion.

The Pringles Can Rocket

I am Second in Science at a secondary school in Leicester with over 7 years of teaching experience in three other schools across the midlands. I am writing this blog for anyone who wishes to learn some interesting science experiments that can be done in schools or sometimes at home.

Take and empty Pringles can and with a pair of sharp scissors cut a hole about 0.5cm diameter in both ends. Connect a piece of rubber tubing and connect it to a gas tap. Fill up the Pringles can with methane gas usig the tube and by covering the other hole up with your finger. Finally, place it on a tripod with the plastic lid facing down. Light the metal end usig a match and stand well back. It will catch fire and then the flame will seem to disappear, dont worry it takes abotu a minute or so. Once it has the correct proportions of gas and air it will explode and the Pringles can should launch.