Project #1

A Balloon and A Skewer Hmm... A balloon and a skewer. What do we have here? Two mortal enemies I guess! But that's the awesomeness of science you see; it can make the worst enemies the best of friends. Let's see where this project takes us... Things you require: • Latex balloons (large ones) • A few skewers (knitting needles will also do) • ½ cup of vegetable oil (no we aren't cooking the balloons with the skewers!) You do the following: • First, place the tip of a skewer in the oil. • Blow up a balloon to an extent where it is just a few breaths away from being fully inflated. In short, you should be able to squish it. And of course, you have to knot its opening. • Now, you have to take notice of two dark or thicker areas in the balloon. One is where the knot has been tied, and one is at the opposite end. • Place the tip of the skewer on one of the thicker ends of the balloon. In a twisting motion, drive it all the way until it comes out of the other thicker end. Phew! Give yourself a pat on the back. Observe Did the balloon meet its end with a bang? No, it didn't; it is not supposed to! What's Going On? The material latex, of which balloons are made of, consists of long chains of molecules called polymers. When you are blowing up a balloon, you are simply stretching the polymers. In the balloon used in our project, the polymers at the tied end or the end opposite to it, are stretched less tightly than the ones at the sides of the balloon. So, when you drove the skewer through these areas, the polymers were still able to stretch and surround the skewer, thus keeping the air intact and the balloon from popping. Just for fun, try driving the skewer through the sides of the balloon. That will prove why balloons and sharp objects are mortal enemies!

Project #2

A Yeasty Project If you love bread and wine, then you owe a big thank you to the single-celled organisms called yeast. In this simple science project, we will help you determine what these organisms like to gobble up and how they help in baking and fermenting. Things you require: • Yeast (A packet full of them) • Water [80° F-90° F (27° C-32° C)] • Two teaspoons of sugar (any sugary liquid will also do) • A plastic water bottle • A latex balloon • A funnel You do the following: • Start by inflating the balloon and letting it deflate. This is to stretch the balloon. • Mix the water, sugar and yeast in a container, and stir well. The water must be at the temperature mentioned above. Yeast are fussy about temperatures. If the water is too hot or too cold, they will not survive. • Using a funnel, carefully pour the content into the bottle. • Cover the mouth of the bottle with that of the balloon. Secure it with a rubber band. • The sugar and the warm environment will reactivate the yeast, which will begin to multiply. • Place the bottle in a warm place, and wait for a few hours or a day. Observe You will find the balloon inflated! What's Going On? So, who blew up the balloon? Why, the yeast did it! When the yeast began to gobble up the sugar, they started multiplying and releasing carbon dioxide gas (as a waste product) in the process. This gas is what inflated the balloon. This process is known as fermentation, which helps in baking, and turning grape juice into wine.

Project #3

Sniff and Slurp! This 4th grade science project is really more of a fun game, than being just a science experiment. The fun here is, you get to mess around with your senses - your sense of taste and sense of smell, precisely. Things you require: • An apple • A potato • A blindfold (no we aren't playing pin the tail on the apple or the potato!) • A volunteer and two spoons You do the following: • First, have the apple and potato peeled and grated. • Place the grated apple in one spoon and potato in the other. • Ask your friend to blindfold you. No peeking! • Pinch your nose. Don't forget to breathe through your mouth. • Now, ask your friend to feed you with one of the food items. Chew properly. • Then ask him/her to feed you with the other food item. Observe Can you guess which spoon had the apple and which one, the potato? I guess, you didn't! No, there's nothing wrong with you. It is just the way the brain works. What's Going On? Our sense of taste is largely governed by our sense of smell. In fact, these two senses are the only senses that work in coalition. Our tongue is capable of sensing only what is sweet, sour, salty or bitter (pure tastes). For other types of tastes, our sense of smell plays a vital role. So, as you couldn't smell the food you were having, you couldn't identify its real taste. Moreover, the blindfold added to the confusion of your brain.

Project #4

Feel the Bubble! Bubbles are pretty. We like to see them wobbling about and floating in mid air. We try to catch them, but they go pop! This 4th grade science project tells you how to freeze bubbles so that you can actually hold them long enough to be examined. Things you require: • Bubble solution (we will tell you how to make one, or you can just get it from the store) • Dry ice • Gloves • A glass container (a big one is better) • A bubble blowing toy You do the following: • For making the bubble solution, you need:

• 100 ml of liquid detergent
• 500 ml of water
• An empty plastic cup
• 10 ml of glycerin

Simply mix water, detergent, and glycerin, and stir well. You can make the bubbles using other products like corn syrup, sugar and lemon, as well. But bubbles prepared with glycerin, last longer. • Wear the gloves, and place some dry ice in the container. • Within 5-10 minutes, as the dry ice thaws, it will start producing carbon dioxide. The gas won't leave the container, making it look like a witch's cauldron. • Now, time to blow the bubbles! Gently, start blowing bubbles so that they fall into the container. Observe • The bubbles will float on the surface of the carbon dioxide. • The carbon dioxide gas will seep into some of the bubbles, increasing their size. • Some bubbles may burst, while some may fall into the dense, cold layer of the gas and come in contact with the dry ice. • It is here that the bubbles will freeze, and you can actually hold them. • After sometime, the frozen bubbles will begin to thaw, and eventually pop like they usually do. What's Going On? Carbon dioxide in its solid form is known as dry ice. Unlike ice, it does not convert into liquid but goes directly into a gaseous state. This process is known as sublimation. It is heavier than air and thus accumulates in the container. The low temperature of the dry ice freezes the bubbles that come in contact with it. Because dry ice is so cold, it should be handled wearing gloves, otherwise it can give you a nasty frostbite.

Project #5

Bottle the Egg! Eggs are either made into omelet, boiled, poached or scrambled! It's time we treated them differently. What do you say about bottling them? Things you require: • A raw egg • An empty glass bottle (its mouth must be smaller than the egg) • A cup of vinegar • Patience You do the following: • Place the egg in a cup of vinegar. • Leave it for about three days. Observe After three days, feel the egg and you will find it to be soft; so soft that you can put it inside the bottle without breaking it. What's Going On? Egg shells are made up of calcium carbonate, and vinegar is acetic acid. When an egg is immersed in vinegar, acetic acid and calcium carbonate react, the shell dissolves, and carbon dioxide is released. This gas is released from the egg in the form of bubbles. Despite losing its shell, the membrane inside the shell remains intact. This makes the egg rubbery and thus it goes inside the bottle with ease. You can also bounce the egg and it won't break. It will just go boing!

Project #6

The Good Egg and the Bad Egg Can you just look at an egg, and tell whether it is fresh or old or has gone bad? Well, if you do, then you are Superman! If you are not, then here is a science project you can try out to do the same. Things you require: • An egg • A glass of clean water You do the following: • Place the egg in the water. • Three things may occur: the egg may lie flat, it may be in an upright or slightly angular position or it may float on the water. Observe • If the egg is completely submerged in the water and lying flat, then it is fresh and will make a tasty omelet. • If you see that the smaller end of the egg is touching the bottom and it is standing upright, or at an angle, then it means that the egg has started to lose its freshness. • If the egg floats, then its fate lies in a trash can. What's Going On? An egg has an air sac inside it, which is the smallest when the egg is fresh. But with time, the egg loses its moisture and carbon dioxide. This in turn, causes the air pocket to increase in size. So, as we can infer from the experiment, the smaller the pocket, the heavier the egg, and the fresher it is.

Project #7

Go Anti-Gravity! This simple science project for 4th graders helps you defy gravity. Now, don't get any crazy ideas! Things you require: • A cardboard • A glass • Water You do the following: • Fill the glass with water up to its brim. • Place the cardboard over the glass. • Turn the glass upside down while holding the cardboard. • Keep holding the glass and let go of the cardboard. Observe The cardboard won't fall nor will the water leak. There, you just defied gravity! Sir Isaac Newton wouldn't have been much happy about it, if he were here. What's Going On? It is air pressure that is messing up with the law of gravity in this experiment. You see, when you cover the glass with the cardboard, you create a condition where the atmospheric pressure (pressure outside the glass) is greater than the pressure inside the glass. So, even when you turn the glass upside down, the pressure outside manages to keep the cardboard in place. Note: Ensure that there are no air bubbles in the water, when you are capping the glass with the cardboard.

Project #8

Create a Magnetic Compass If you are lost in a forest, and have no clue about the right direction to take, then call to mind this easy science project. Of course, you would have to carry some stuff for the project, before you decide to get lost. Things you require: • A needle • A bar magnet • A small piece of cork • A bowl of water You do the following: • Rub the north pole of the magnet against the point of the needle. Always rub in the same direction (for about 15-20 times; the more rubbing the better). • Drive the needle through the center of the cork. The needle must be inserted so that it is parallel to the ground and not perpendicular. Place the cork in the water. • Let the water get still. Observe The needle will automatically start pointing itself towards the north pole. Some mojo it is, eh? What's Going On? When you are rubbing the magnet against the needle, you are making it magnetically charged. Now, the earth is a like a huge magnet in itself; having a magnetic south pole and magnetic north pole. So, when you leave the magnetically charged needle floating in the water, its north pole will point towards the magnetic south, and its south pole, towards the magnetic north. Understand that, the earth's magnetic north is in its geographic south, and its magnetic south is in its geographic north. This implies, that the magnetically charged needle is pointing towards the geographical north which we use for finding directions.