• Question: what is an easy and enjoyable experiment you can do at home and how do you do it?

    Asked by Aswin to Hephzi, Imogen, Jen, Jennifer, Tom on 8 Mar 2015.
    • Photo: Hephzi Tagoe

      Hephzi Tagoe answered on 8 Mar 2015:

      @Aswin, This is the point where I pull out my list all the enjoyable experiments I’ve attempted at home, which is none. I
      know a pretty simply one to do is making snow. Don’t know if you’ll find that enjoyable but I thoink it’s pretty cool and you can colour them too. Here’s a really simple video telling you how. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=k0zpJGbKWwY

    • Photo: Thomas Barrett

      Thomas Barrett answered on 9 Mar 2015:

      The obvious classic is the baking soda and vinegar volcano.

      Glow in the dark Mountain Dew is a good one

      I would recommend NOT drinking it afterwards however 😛

    • Photo: Imogen Napper

      Imogen Napper answered on 9 Mar 2015:

      This is a really simple experiment that I used to do.

      All you need is a straw and a potato.

      Hold a plastic drinking straw by it sides (without covering the hole at the top) and try quickly stabbing the potato, what happens?
      Repeat the experiment with a new straw but this time place your thumb over the top, covering the hole.

      Covering the top of the straw with your thumb traps the air inside, forcing it to compress as you stab the straw through the potato skin. This makes the straw strong enough to pierce the potato, unlike the first attempt where the air is pushed out of the straw!

      Make sure you recycle the straw afterwards 🙂 !

    • Photo: Jennifer Rudd

      Jennifer Rudd answered on 9 Mar 2015:

      Wow I love the Mountain Dew experiment. Can you buy Mountain Dew in the UK? If not I’ll try that before I leave the states.

      My favourite and super-simple experiment is to get three glasses. In one you put boiling water, in one warm water and in one cold water. Now add a couple of drops of food colouring to each glass and look at what happens.

      Diffusion happens quickest in the hot water and slowest in the cold water. This is because hot molecules move more quickly because they have more energy. It’s so simple but it’s so demonstrative of how heat and energy are related 🙂

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