An Eggsperiment
Ever been to the fridge and found an egg? Not sure whether it's cooked or not?
Take a raw egg and spin it on the kitchen work surface. When it is spinning, stop it then immediately let go. What happens? Repeat with the cooked egg. How do they behave differently? Can you explain why?
What an eggsciting eggsperience!
Rising Raisins
Fill a tall glass with fresh fizzy lemonade. Drop in 4 or 5 raisins. Watch what they do.
Shooting Cereal
Put some cold clean water into a washing up bowl. Sprinkle a few rice crispies over the surface. Now, to the middle of the bowl add a tiny, tiny drop of washing up liquid. Wow!
Changing Colour
Ever cook beetroot or red cabbage? If so save some of the coloured cooking water. This makes a great indicator to identify acids and alkalis. Test small amounts with a variety of kitchen materials such as vinegar, bicarbonate of soda, cleaning agents, etc.
It’s a gas!
Put some water in a saucepan and begin to warm it up. The first bubbles appear well before the water is ready to boil. What are these bubbles? Why do they appear?
Icy it Floats
Fill a tall thin glass one third full of water. Pour an equal amount of light vegetable oil on top. It stays as two layers. Now add a small lump of ice. The ice floats on the water but sinks in the oil. Why is this? (You might need to experiment with different oils to get this to work)
Make some goo!
When you make real custard you start by adding a small amount of liquid (milk or water) to custard powder. This mixture behaves in a very strange way. You can scratch it and shatter it but it will still run. Is it a solid or a liquid?
Blow up a Bag
Put some bicarbonate of soda into a glass then add some vinegar. What a fizz! Make this more exciting by using a self-sealing food bag. Add half a cupful of vinegar then drop in 2-3 spoonfuls of bicarbonate of soda wrapped in kitchen roll. This gives you time to seal the bag! Experiment further if you wish by warming the vinegar first. If so, keep the bag in the sink!
Magnetic or not?
Everyone has a fridge magnet. Find several 2p coins and try to pick them up. Why are some attracted and some not? Investigate! |
