To bring these Tesla Coil Guns to life on Jimmy Kimmel Live, I elicited the help of Steve Ward and Philip Slawinski who had previously built Tesla Coil guns for fun. While the guns were impressive, they were also too powerful to use indoor since they could possibly damage the electronics in the cameras and stage equipment which costs hundreds of thousands of dollars. To get around this problem we brought in engineers to design a custom grounding system for the studio. We also made custom grounding footwear out of snowboard bindings so that the units did not have to be grounded directly through the building.
For fun, I wondered if the coils might be able to ignite balloons filled with explosive hydrogen. In a late night test session, it was discovered that they wonderfully exploded with just the microsecond spark of the guns.
While the arc from the gun would not likely kill someone if they were to get hit by a bolt, I can tell you it is certainly uncomfortable. In fact, it you were to hold the gun too close to your body, the arcs of electricity could turn and hit you.
I’m not sure Nikola Tesla would have ever imagined a Tesla coil gun, but I bet he would like it if he saw it.
What do you do when you’re an elementary school science teacher and you’re given a room with NO WINDOWS!? If your a bit of a geek and a maker like me, you turn the room into your very own STARSHIP CLASSROOM.
WATCH THE VIDEO
Let’s face it, building a science-fiction based room is any geek’s dream build, and if you’re a student coming to a startship classroom, hopefully it makes learning even more fun. Best of all, I got to learn a lot of new skills in the process of creating this. I used maker skills that ranged from 3-D printing, to computer controlled routers, to coding and electronics. Here are some of the basic elements of the room, and how they were made: The room started out looking like a typical science classroom. But that would soon change.
THE SENSOR ARRAY
The sensor array on the ceiling has no practical purpose other than looking cool. It was made of some scrap plywood and uses a smokey security dome that I got from a store going out of business. I added some holiday lights and put a color changing globe inside of the dome which had a really nice effect. It ended up looking like it belonged in the Death Star, which I considered a plus.
Here it is under construction. Fairly simple in design, but it looks pretty cool.
WALL CONTROL PANELS
The control panels were much more complex. The lower part was created by designing a layout on a computer by adding holes and openings for various buttons and lights I had. I then had these laser cut to size in black plexiglass. I could have drilled the holes, but many of the buttons were square, and I was fortunate enough to have access to a laser cutter.
The panels used numeric counters, LEDs, buttons and switched that I had, or sourced on eBay. The lighting effects were done using a modified Arduino controller to create the blinking and patterns. The video monitors were some hacked video panels that used to be part of a store display. I found these on eBay for about $8 each. I created the displays from some templates I found on-line, and then, for fun, modified them with some hidden easter-eggs of teachers names and school locations.
The round sphere on the left panel has a color changing LED Christmas ornament under it for effect. The two numeric displays on either side are voltage displays which I hooked up to the LED. Because the different colored LEDs require different voltages the displays continually change in sync to the LED colors.
Inside the control panels – that’s a LOT of wiring.
AIR LOCK DOOR
I love the airlock door – mainly because every now and then a a maked something you build from scratch turns out looking just how you imagined it, and this was one of the few things that did. I designed this door using Apple Pages (really!) and then transferred the design to a CNC program (VCarve) which would allow me to to use a computer controlled router to cut all the grooves with a level of precision that I could not accomplish by hand.
I should probably point out here that I do not own a laser cutter or CNC router – I am part of a wonderful community maker space that gives me access to an amazing amount of equipment and talent that I am lucky enough to utilize every day.
I originally cut the door out of wood, but it looked pretty bad and would take many hours to sand smooth, So I then tried 3/8 inch expanded PVC which is often used for house siding and trim. The results were exactly what I was looking for and it was practically ready to hang!
The video display on the door was made using an old digital photo frame that could play video files. I created all the graphics in Apple Keynote and exported them to video files. They loop endlessly. I hid the frame in some scrap pieces of the expanded PVC. The buttons were made on a laser cutter and have no function. The door was simply applied over the existing door with double stick tape. I added some signage and caution tape and the airlock was complete.
TEACHER COMMAND CENTER
The Command Center is a favorite part of the room, and the best part is it is a real movie prop! This was the main console used in the 2004 movie, Thunderbirds.
Here is my console being used by Oscar winner Ben Kingsley!
I purchased it from a source in England and had it shipped to the US. The console was pretty beat-up and required a complete renovation that took several weeks. First job was to patch, repair, and paint the base.
I then rewired and replaced many of the lights and completely reorganized the wires. For fun, I also added a sound unit which allowed me to add 8 computer-voice sound effects when various buttons were pushed.
The room has many other features in the way of lighting and Sci-Fi decorations.
If you’re thinking it would be cool to do this in your house or shop, go for it! I learned (and failed) a lot along the way and the internet is filled with wonderful resources to get you started. Keep exploring, keep making!
This video shows what it would be like to juggle on the moon (without a space suit.) This was filmed aboard a plane that makes parabolic flights up and down. As the plane descends, it can simulate partial or complete weightlessness for about 20-30 seconds.
The moon’s gravity is about 1/6th of the earths gravity. That means things fall a lot slower. It also means if you wanted to learn how to juggle, the moon is the best place for sure!
Science Bob joins Sheinelle Jones, Dylan Dreyer, and actor Zach Braff on the Today Show for some science experiments.
Check out and try the home version of the Exploding Lunch Bag
experiment from the video HERE.
Science Bob visited the Today Show with John Cena, Tamron Hall, and Al Roker to explore liquid nitrogen, hydrogen rockets, and high voltage electricity.
If you saw my science demonstrations on Jimmy Kimmel Live, and want to learn more, you’ve come to the right place. First, watch the entire segment below:
If you look carefully, you can see the edges of the 4 flasks that are inside of the aquarium.
Oil & Pyrex Glass
While we may think of light traveling at a constant speed, it’s speed can vary depending on the material it is passing through. In fact, light can slow down as much as 50% when it passes through diamonds. How light passes through objects is known as the Index of Refraction. On the show, we demonstrated how light passes similarly through regular cooking oil and Pyrex glass. This means they have a similar index of refraction and so the Pyrex glassware will virtually disappear in the cooking oil.
TRY THIS: If you have some vegetable oil sitting around, fill a container with the oil, (preferably a clear container) and place a Pyrex glass measuring cup in the container of oil. You should see that the glass part of the measuring cup disappears!
Glowing Phosphorus
This awesome demo showed the significance of oxygen when it comes to fire and combustion. The demo uses a deep red powder called RED PHOSPHORUS. Red phosphorus is a flammable powder that burns somewhat slowly. When ignited, you can see it burn and give off smoke. The giant round boiling flask is filled with pure oxygen, and as soon as it is placed over the burning phosphorus, you can see an immediate change as the phosphorus begins to burn vigorously, glow brightly, and fill the flask with a luminous-looking smoke.
This phosphorus demonstration is quite old and historic – it goes back to the 1600s when German Scientist Hennig Brand created white phosphorus by boiling hundreds of gallons of urine in a quest to create gold. Unfortunately, there was no gold in his future, but he did notice the white phosphorus he created would glow, or become “phosphorescent.” White phosphorus, by the way, is much more reactive than its more stable allotrope red phosphorus, which we used in the demonstration.
Pyro-technician, Steve uses liquid nitrogen and and modified copper tubing to make liquid methane.
Liquid Methane Fire
This demo really looked great on camera. Methane gas is a flammable fossil fuel that is commonly used in homes for cooking and heating – it is the main component of Natural Gas. We took methane gas and ran it through a modified copper tube submerged in liquid nitrogen – this cooled the methane below its boiling point, turning it into a very cold, very flammable liquid.
Liquid Nitrogen: -196°C (-321° F )
Liquid Methane: -161°C (-258°F)
The demo also highlighted something called the Leiden-Frost effect. The best way to think about the Leiden-Frost effect is to consider how cold water on a hot pan skitters around the surface of the pan. This is because it is suspended on a layer of steam as soon as it hits the pan. The same happens with liquid nitrogen and liquid methane – as the cold liquid comes in contact with the much warmer floor of the stage, it instantly begins to boil and spread across the surface. The drops of liquid methane will remain on fire while they vaporize creating a very cool skittering fire effect.
The Tesla-Coil Triggered, Ethanol Powered, Film Canister Gatling Gun
It was time to have a little fun with science. The concept of putting a small amount ethanol into a film canister and triggering it with a spark has been around a while. But I wondered if I could daisy-chain spark gaps to create a device that would blast multiple film canisters in succession. After several tests and tinkering, I found a system that worked using a 6,000 volt Tesla coil for sparks, and wheel made of a material called Gatorboard which was non-conductive and could keep the sparks where I wanted them.
Watch the build and testing in the video below:
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What’s it like to be on Nickeloden’s Nicky, Ricky, Dicky, & Dawn? It’s awesome! And in one of my guest appearance, we got to use some real science! Here’s a behind-the-scenes look at the episode, as well as a way for you to try some of the science experiments from the show at home!
In the episode, Mae calls on Science Bob to convince the Harper quadruplets (Casey Simpson, Mace Coronel, Lizzy Greene, and Aiden Gallagher) that there is no such thing as bad luck or curses. This eventually leads to Ricky (Casey Simpson) performing some exciting, yet messy, science demonstrations in the Harper home to prove a point.
So, did the episode use some kind of special effects to create the experiments? No way…the producers wanted to use real science with real chemical reactions!
Dawn’s vinegar and milk experiment will not only make milk chunky, it can turn it into plastic! There’s a bit more to it than you see in the episode, but if you want to try it yourself, CLICK HERE.
WATCH THE CLIP!
Science Bob and Casey Simpson (Ricky) test out the Elephant Toothpaste reaction outside the stage before performing it on set. Thanks to Casey’s mom for this great photo.
Science! There were no special effects tricks there, that was real science! The “big foamy snake” was actually a dramatic chemical reaction sometimes called Elephant Toothpaste.
Click the foamy bottle to learn how to try the experiment at home!
In the big flask was hydrogen peroxide, blue coloring and some dish soap. The hydrogen peroxide we used was stronger than the kind you find at the pharmacy, and it can irritate your skin, so Casey’s gloves and goggles were not just for show. When the other chemical, (sodium iodide) was added to the flask it triggered the production on millions of tiny, foam bubbles…and a big mess.
INSIDER INFO: During the first take of the scene, the foam did not go very high, so the producers asked to try it again. On the second take, (the one they used on the show) the foam went so high, it hit one of the lights in the studio!
The second experiment used the science of food (molecular gastronomy.) When you add Sodium Alginate to a liquid and then put it in some water with Calcium Chloride, you get watery blobs of gel that you can eat!
Casey and Lizzy test out the “olive” experiment in the Special Effects trailer to make sure it was really science.
But wait, there was some more movie-magic at play during the scene. It one point, the pen in my lab coat had to leak on cue. How did they do that? The Special Effects Department set up very long tube that went from the pen, down my shirt, to a special effects crew member lying down behind the couch on the set. When he heard the cue, he started pushing watery paint through the tube – it worked perfectly.
Want more Hollywood magic? As part of the scene, the handle on my suitcase had to break off at just the right moment. Believe it or not, it was actually triggered by remote control! The special effects crew modified a real suitcase with a special trigger and a receiver. When they wanted it to break, they simply pushed a button on a remote control off-stage.
Science is everywhere, from medical labs, to Mars rovers, to, well, the set of Nicky, Ricky, Dicky, & Dawn.
It was time for some more science on Jimmy Kimmel Live! This visit it was time for some fire, ice, and fun chemistry.
Liquid Nitrogen Powered Bottle Rockets
The first demonstration utilized liquid nitrogen as thrust to power a standard soda bottle. Nitrogen makes up 80% of the air we breathe. And liquid nitrogen will increases its volume 700% when going from liquid to a gas! Because of this, we were able to create pressure without an outside source.
(NEVER place liquid nitrogen in a closed container – many have been hurt attempting this) For this demonstration I custom designed a bottle launcher with several safety features including pressure gauges and blow-out safety valves. Many safety tests were done to test pressure limits of the bottles under several liquid nitrogen conditions as well as launching tests. Ultimately, the pressure needed was far below the pressure limits of the bottle. Eventually I will try this as a vertical rocket with fins and a nose cone.
Briggs-Raucher Chemical Reaction
The cool oscillating reaction used on the episode was called the Briggs-Raucher reaction, named after two high school science teachers in San Francisco who designed the demonstration. It is one of a very small number of chemical color changes that is able to repeat itself multiple times. Solutions include starch, hydrogen peroxide, malonic acid, and sulfuric acid. The reaction is very complex. Even when Briggs and Raucher first developed the reaction, its chemistry was not clearly understood. For those of you chemistry enthusiasts interested in the chemical equation, here is the complete reaction from the MIT Chemistry Department:
The Rubens’ Tube
The last demonstration is called a Rubens’ Tube, named after Heinrich Rubens who demonstrated the device in 1905. A Rubens’ Tube is simply a long metal tube with holes drilled in it a regular lengths. In this case, I drilled 1/16th inch holes spaced 1/2 inch apart, which seems to bring the best results. They can be hand drilled, however I used a milling machine for better accuracy. One end is capped and sealed and the other has a speaker attached. Thin nitrile material seals the end to avoid gas from escaping through the speaker.
As sound travels through the tube, sound waves create peaks and valleys (nodes and antinodes) which change the gas pressure and then affects the size of the flame. A single, even tone can create a great visualization of the sound wave.
The six-tube Rubens’ tube demonstration was created by Michael Dewberry, an amazing fire sculptor with whom I share some shop space with outside of Boston. The size of each tube favors a different frequency allowing the tubes to literally react independently to the same sounds. The effect is mesmerizing.
Noticeably starts to dim at 9:07 pm Eastern US Time
Full eclipse begins at 10:11 pm Eastern US Time
Maximum Eclipse is at 10:47 pm Eastern US time
Main eclipse event is over at 12:27 am Eastern US Time
The eclipse event is plus or minus a few minutes of these times, based on your location.
WHERE? All of North and South America will be able to witness the eclipse to some degree as well as Europe, South/East Asia, and Africa. The eastern half of the US will get to see 100% of the event while the west coast will see about 60% of the event. (see map)
WHAT’S GOING ON?
During a TOTAL LUNAR ECLIPSE, the Sun, Earth, and Moon all line-up just right causing the earth’s shadow to cross over the surface of the moon. This blocks all the sunlight that usually lights up the moon, causing it to darken in the night sky. The moon turns a dark orange/red color due to the bending of the light as it passes through the Earth’s atmosphere. This is the same phenomenon that gives us orange sunsets.
RARE “SUPERMOON” LUNAR ECLIPSE The September 27th Lunar eclipse is also a “Super-Moon.” This means the moon is closest to the earth in its orbit and appears larger than usual. A Super-Moon Lunar Eclipse has only occurred 5 times since 1900. If you miss it this year the next opportunity to see a Super-Moon lunar eclipse is not until 2033.
Did you know?
In ancient China, it was once believed that a dragon was swallowing the moon during a lunar eclipse.
The next Total Lunar Eclipse view-able in the entire US is not until January 20th, 2019.
Total lunar eclipses are often called “Blood Moons” because of their reddish color.
On a recent episode of Jimmy Kimmel (see original clip above) I used a soda bottle to demonstrate a build up of gas pressure. Typical soda bottles are under about 40-60 PSI (pounds per square inch) of pressure when they are bottled. But they are designed to withstand much more pressure – usually around 150 PSI! We decided to put the bottle to the test using liquid nitrogen.
While impressive, this demonstration will show you why you should NEVER EVER use a soda bottle for any kind of experiment involving gases under pressure. The blast is intense, damaging, and loud. We utilized several safety staff, many safety tests, and a box custom built of Lexan (virtually unbreakable) plastic. It is the same material that bulletproof windows are made from.
Because the blast happens so fast, the production brought in a high-speed camera (the Sony NEX-FS700) to shoot the demo at 700FPS.
Since the high-speed clip is brief in the YouTube show clip, here is the extended version. The flickering light is created by the camera picking up the on/off cycle of the LED lights which are usually invisible to the human eye. Enjoy.
Hovercrafts are lots of fun, and a great way to demonstrate the power of moving air. Here are the instructions to build a hovercraft of your own that you can ride on. Construction time can be as little as a few hours. These plans are based on the plans we used for the hovercraft built for Jimmy Kimmel Live. (see video) To build a smaller, tabletop hover craft powered by a balloon, click HERE.
You will need:
4’ X 4’ 3/4 inch plywood
Piece of heavy-duty tarp material 5’ X 5’
.25 inch machine bolt (1.5 inches long) with nut
2 2-inch washers for the bolt
Plastic cover for a round electrical box
Leaf blower (cordless electric leaf blowers are great – we used a Makita BUB182Z)
Mark the center of the plywood by drawing lines between opposite corners.Nail a small nail into the center of the panel and use a pencil tied to a piece of string as a compass to draw a 4’ circle as shown
Using a jig saw, carefully cut the circle out of the panel and sand the edges smooth and round with sandpaper.
Measure the width of the leaf blower output and use a hole cutter or jig saw to cut a hole the same width. It should be about 2 feet from the center of the plywood and it should fit snug. (use duct tape around the blower if needed to tighten up the seal.)
If you want to attach a seat (or anything else) to the top, now would be the time. Drill holes and attach with machine screws. Install the machine screws through the bottom, and counter-sink all screws to keep the bottom of the craft smooth.
Lay the plywood on the center of the tarp and wrap the tarp over the edge. Staple the tarp onto the top of the hovercraft with a staple gun along the edge so that the staples almost touch each other. Be sure to keep the tarp as taught as possible while stapling. When finished, you can trim any extra tarp material away with scissors if desired.
Drill a 1/4 inch hole through the center of the plywood/tarp and also through the center of the electrical box cover.
Feed the bolt through a washer and the plastic cover, and then up through the hovercraft. Secure with a washer and the nut from the top as shown. Cover the screw head with duct tape to avoid scratching the floor.
Use a utility knife or hobby knife to carefully cut 6 evenly spaced holes into the tarp material in a circle about 10 inches from the center. The holes should be about 1.5 inches wide. (You can use an American quarter to trace the circles.)
To make bumpers, you can cut foam pipe insulation and attach to the outside edge with hot glue. For extra style when using at night or indoors, add 12 volt LED strip lights and power with a 9 volt battery.Construction is complete, you are ready to hover!
Using your hovercraft:
Center yourself on the top of the hovercraft (either in the chair or sitting on the platform if you don’t have a chair) Power up the blower and have someone give you a push. You’re off and hovering on air!
TIPS:
Your hovercraft works best on smooth surfaces such as hard floors, concrete, or smooth asphalt. Using the hovercraft on bumpy surface can affect performance or, even worse, it could end up ripping the tarp.
Hovercrafts do not have brakes or steering! Use away from objects, people, pets, or traffic that you might run into. Be sure to wear a helmet and have someone standing by to help guide your hovercraft. Leaf blowers can also be loud, so ear protection is recommended.
Propulsion:
Giving your hovercraft propulsion is necessary, but it allows the rider to move the craft on its own, and sort of provides some directional control. On Jimmy Kimmel Live we used CO2 fire extinguishers specially modified by a special effects company. Modifying a fire extinguisher is quite dangerous and should not be attempted. However, an unmodified CO2 extinguisher will often work (although CO2 extinguishers can be an expensive.) An easier way to get thrust is to simply use an additional leaf blower for propulsion. Be sure to point it in the opposite direction that you want to go.
Hover Science
How does your hovercraft work? Air can have tremendous lift. In fact, moving air is what allows large planes to get off the ground. When you power on the blower, it forces air out the holes of the tarp and towards the edge of the hovercraft. While you might think it would be difficult for a small blower to lift over 100 pounds, it is not. Since the large volume of moving air is spread out over a relatively thin area, it has a surprising amount of lift. The layer of air greatly reduces friction allowing you to glide on a cushion of air.
Download a PDF of these instructions by clicking HERE.
This is by far the best way to serve a can of Pringles. Inside of most large rockets is a supply of hydrogen and oxygen. When the mix of the two is just right, it creates an explosion with a huge amount of energy. In rockets, this energy get the rocket into space. In our little demonstration here, it gets the Pringles can to the ceiling.
Here’s how it works:
There is a small hole in the top (really the bottom) of the can
Hydrogen is pumped into the cans from the bottom of the can.
Once the flame is lit, the hydrogen burns and air (with oxygen) enters from the bottom hole.
When the mix is just right, off goes the rocket and it’s time for a snack.
This impressive reaction is sometimes called, “The Barking Dog.” Watch the video and you’ll see why. It combines a very flammable chemical called Carbon Di-sulfate and the gas Nitrous Oxide. Nitrous Oxide is often used in race cars to give the car a sudden burst of oxygen energy. As the fire travels down the test tube it creates pressure which increases the energy released. After the reaction is over, you can see that the inside of the test tube is covered with a yellow-white sulfur powder left over from the carbon Di-sulfate.
If you’re reading this, it means you are officially checking out the new sciencebob.com. Sciencebob.com has been around since 1997 and gets millions of visitors every year.
Now its got a whole new look, new videos, and it features downloadable and printable versions of your favorite experiments and science fair ideas. And, even better the site will be getting better every month with new content, so thanks for visiting and keep checking back!
This project comes to us from Melissa Howard who is a Mom, Blogger, and photographer. This project nicely demonstrates how real-life geodes are formed in igneous and sedimentary rock. It also demonstrates super-saturated solutions and shows a nice variety of crystal shapes and formations.
YOU WILL NEED:
clean eggshells
water
a variety of soluble solids: table salt, rock salt, sugar, baking soda, Epsom salts, sea salt, borax, or cream of tartar
small heat proof containers (coffee cups work well)
spoons
food coloring
egg cartons and wax paper or mini-muffin tins
WHAT TO DO:
Crack the eggs for this project as close to the narrow end as possible. This preserves more egg to use as a container for the solution.
Clean the eggshells using hot water. The hot water cooks the lining and allows you to pull the skin (egg membrane) out of the inside of the egg using your fingers. Make sure to remove all the egg membrane, if any membrane stays inside the shell it is possible that your eggshell will grow mold and your crystals will turn black.
Use an egg carton lined with waxed paper or mini-muffin tins to hold the eggs upright.
Use a saucepan to heat the water to boiling. .
Pour half a cup to a cup of water into your heatproof container. If you poured half a cup of water into the container, add about a ¼ cup of solid to the water. Stir it until it dissolves. Likewise if you used a cup of water, add about ½ a cup of solid to the water. You wanted to add about half again the volume of the water as a solid to the mixture. When the initial amount of solid is dissolved continue adding small amounts of the solid until the water is super-saturated. Super-saturated simply means the water has absorbed all it is able to absorb and any solid you add will not dissolve.
Add food coloring.
Carefully pour your solution into the eggshell, filling it as full as possible without over-flowing it or causing it to tip.
Find a safe place to put your shells while the water evaporates. Crystals will form inside the eggshells as the water evaporates.
HOW DOES IT WORK?
Dissolving the crystals in hot water created what is called a “super-saturated solution.” This basically means that the salts took advantage of the energy of the hot water to help them dissolve until there was no more space between molecules in the solution. As the solution cooled, the water lost its energy and the crystals are forced from the solution to become a solid again. Since this happens slowly along with the evaporation, the crystals have time to grow larger than they were when the experiment started. Natural geodes in rock are form in much the same way as mineralized water seeps into air pockets in rock. This is also how rock candy crystals are formed.
This may just be the easiest, messiest, and most fun science activity I know. It is a classic, and I have gotten several requests recently to post directions. You should know that if you try this activity and you are not smiling and messy with corn starch goo at the end, then you are definitely doing something wrong. Also keep in mind that this is not just about fun, there is some pretty amazing science going on here.
You will need:
Cornstarch (a 16 oz. box is good for every 2-3 participants – but more is always better)
Water
Food coloring (we always say it’s optional, but it does make it more fun – don’t use too much or you could end up with colored hands…and clothes…and curtains)
A large bowl
A camera – you’re probably going to want to take pictures.
Everyone should roll up their sleeves and prepare for some gooey fun.
This is easy. Pour the cornstarch into the bowl. Don’t rush to add water – take time to feel the cornstarch. Cornstarch does not feel like any other powder. It has a texture that can be compared to that of whipped cream. The grains of cornstarch are so small that they will fill into grooves of your fingerprints and make the prints stand out.
After you’ve taken-in the feel of the powder, it is time to add water. (You should add the food coloring to your water before adding it to the powder.) There are no exact formulas regarding how much water to add, but it will end up being about 1/2 cup (120 ml) of water per cup (235 ml) of cornstarch. The secret is to add the water slowly and mix as you add it. Don’t be shy here – dig in with your hands and really mix it up. This is usually when you notice that this is not your average liquid. Add enough water so that the mixture slowly flows on its own when mixed. The best test is to reach in and grab a handful of the mixture and see if you can roll it into a ball between your hands – if you stop rolling it and it “melts” between your fingers – success!
We’ll get the the science soon, for now just dig in and explore. Notice that the goo does not splash (or even move) if you hit it quickly. Squeeze it hard and see what happens. How long can you get the strands of goo to drip? What happens if you let the goo sit on the table for a minute and then try to pick it up? How does it feel? Hows does it move? Try bouncing a ball on the surface of the cornstarch. You get the idea – explore!
30 minutes later…
So now goo is everywhere and you’re thinking you should probably start cleaning. Actual clean up of the goo is a snap. A bucket of warm water will quickly get it off your hands. It will brush off of clothes when it dries, and it is easily cleaned off surfaces with a wet rag.
Important: Make sure you do not dump the goo down the drain – it can get caught in the drain trap and take the joy out of your day of science. Dump it in the trash, or even mix it into soil in the garden.
Cornstarch grains under the microscope
Now for the science…
Our cornstarch goo (sometimes referred to as “oobleck” from the Dr. Suess book) is what scientists call a “Non-Newtonian” liquid. Basically, Sir Issac Newton stated individual liquids flow at consistent, predictable rates. As you likely discovered, cornstarch goo does NOT follow those rules – it can act almost like a solid, and them flow like a liquid. Technically speaking, the goo is a SUSPENSION, meaning that the grains of starch are not dissolved, they are just suspended and spread out in the water. If you let the goo sit for an while, the cornstarch would settle to the bottom of the bowl.
So why does this concoction act the way it does? Most of it has to do with pressure. The size, shape, and makeup of the cornstarch grains causes the cornstarch to “lock-up” and hold its shape when pressure is applied to it. People have filled small pools with oobleck and they are able to walk across the surface of it (as long as they move quickly.) As soon as they stop walking, they begin to sink.
I hope you get to try this out. Let us know how your day with non-newtonian liquids went. Have fun exploring!
Carving pumpkins is fun, but exploding pumpkins is even funner! While there are lots of ways to explode a single pumpkin, getting many to explode in unison was challenging. This demonstration uses chemicals that create a flammable (acetylene) gas. After much experimenting, I was able to use one exploding pumpkin to trigger the one next to it creating a spectacular chain reaction. This remains one of my favorite Jimmy Kimmel Live demonstrations.
Very few people get the chance to experience the effect of a zero gravity experience. When the team over at the Northrup Grumman Foundation invited me to go up on a zero gravity plane, I jumped at the chance. All they asked is that I think about an interesting experiment to try in a weightless environment. I told them I didn’t have to think about it; I wanted to release 2,000 ping pong balls. Amazingly, they agreed!
This Science/4th of July themed Rube Goldberg Machine chain reaction device took 2 weeks of building and testing. The hardest part (aside from getting it to consistently work) was nailing in over 1,000 nails for the marble drop section. You can’t go wrong in a demonstration that uses chemical reactions, high voltage electricity, an Einstein doll, flammable gases, and a confetti cannon.
Liquid Nitrogen is cold. REALLY cold. -198°C (-321°F) In this demonstration, we literally make a cloud. Adding the boiling water to the liquid nitrogen creates a violent reaction that vaporizes the water. At the same time the effects of the cold liquid nitrogen cause the vaporized water to condense back into tiny drops we call a cloud. This is my favorite all-time science demonstration.
A foam tray (like the kind meat comes in) or a piece of non-currogated cardboard
A tray, bowl, or cookie sheet full of water
Liquid dish soap
A toothpick
What to do:
Cut the foam tray or cardboard into a boat shape as shown below:
A good size seems to be about 2 inches long.
Dip the toothpick into the liquid soap and use the toothpick to put soap onto the sides of the notch at the back of the boat.
That’s it! Now carefully place the boat onto the surface of the water and watch it scoot across the water for several seconds – you’ve made a soap-powered boat! To demonstrate the boat again, you will need to rinse out the tray to remove any soap from the previous demonstration.
How does it work?
Soap is a surfactant – that means that it breaks down the surface tension of water. As the surface tension is broken up, it creates enough of a force to push the lightweight boat across the surface.
MAKE IT AN EXPERIMENT
The project above is a DEMONSTRATION. To make it a true experiment, you can try to answer these questions:
Does liquid soap last longer than a solid piece of soap?
A few years back, on a particularly cold day, the air was filled with static. I went to clean up some tinsel that fell off a Christmas tree and it stuck to my hand like glue. I mean it REALLY stuck. I shokk my hand and it hardly budged. That when an idea hit me. I experimented using a piece of PVC pipe and some tinsel to experiment with static charges. The levitating orb experiment was born. Since then, we’ve mailed out thousands of packs of tinsel through the store (link here) and many of you have posted videos. Here’s the original video:
Here are some of my fan favorites:
Try out the orb yourself (instructions HERE) and make a video. Maybe we’ll add your next!
Would you want to drink green milk, how about orange mashed potatoes? The color of foods might affect just how much you want to eat them, but what about the birds in your neighborhood, would they care what color their food is? This sounds like an experiment in the making…. you coul even try this out for a science fair project, or just to learn something new while making your locals birds happy.
You will need:
Several bird feeders that are the same size and type
Light colored birdseed appropriate for the birds in your neighborhood
Several colors of food coloring
QUESTION – What color of birdseed, if any, will birds prefer the most?
RESEARCH: Ornithologists (scientists that study birds) are rather certain that most birds can see in color. One reason they think this is because birds themselves are very colorful. In many species, male birds tend to be more colorful than females. This is likely because the males use their coloring to attract a mate, while female birds tend to have less coloring to provide camouflage as they protect their eggs in the nest. Before beginning a large experiment with lots of bird seed, you may want to put out a few small handfuls of different colored birdseed (see instructions for coloring birdseed below) to see how the birds near you react to different colored seed. You may also want to refer to books and talk to an ornithologist to get their opinion about how birds see the word.
MAKE A HYPOTHESIS: Use the information that you’ve gained from your research and make a hypothesis based on your question. An example might be “Birds will eat more green birdseed than other colors.”
EXPERIMENT: This is the fun part. You should get several bird feeders that are all the same size and type. Purchase a bird seed that is very light in color for this experiment. To color the bird seed, pour it into a bowl and then add food coloring that you can purchase from the store. Mix it up well with a spoon and continue to add color until all the seed is colored. You should sample at least a few colors and have one feeder with seed that has not been colored – this is called the control and it will give you something to compare your results to. Now just hang them up outside in the same location, and wait for your feathered friends to show up. This works best in an area that birds are used to feeding from a feeder – it can take birds over a week to find new feeders.
COLLECT DATA: Observe your bird feeder whenever possible, and keep track of how much seed is in each bird feeder each day. A ruler is helpful for this. You might also want to take pictures of the feeders and keep track of which kind of birds visit each feeder. Over time, you should be able to see if one color of seed gets eaten more than others.
MAKE A CONCLUSION: Once your experiment is done, you will be able to go back to your hypothesis and see if it is correct. Remember,it’s not bad if your hypothesis was wrong. The main thing is that you’ve learned something from your experiment, and hopefully you had some fun doing it.
If you try this, let me know how it goes!
If you need inexpensive bird feeders, you can get some on-line HERE.
In many parts of the world, autumn is a time for leaves to turn dramatic bright colors. Most of those spectacular colors of autumn have actually been in the leaves all summer, however they were “covered up” by the dominant green of the chlorophyll. As weather cools, and shorter days settle in, the leaves are no longer able to produce food for the tree. The chlorophyll begins to break down, revealing new and varied color pigments. The brightest colors are seen when late summer is dry, and autumn has bright sunny days and cool nights.
Click on the image to view this handy reference or download it using the link below..
Density is a fascinating and sometimes tricky idea to understand. This Drink of Density will help bring home the idea of density in liquids, not to mention it looks cool when your all done, it’s tasty, and it’s even good for you – what more could you ask for in a science activity!
You will need:
Juices that have different density levels. (see below for a simple explanation of density) The density of a juice is often determined by how much sugar or fruit is in it – the more sugar or fruit, the more dense the juice is. Powdered and canned juices do not work well for this experiment since they are almost entirely water. You will have to do some experimentation to find juices that are colorful and give a nice display of density, and that’s half the fun.
A narrow glass (the more narrow it is, the easier it is to separate the density levels)
Eye dropper or turkey type baster.
What to do:
Before you begin, you can guess which juices you think will be more dense and form a hypothesis of how the levels of your Drink of Density will turn out. Check the number of ingredients, the sugar content, and the water content to help you out.
In order to display your density levels, you will need to find out which of your juices are the most and least dense. Pour one of your juices into the narrow glass to fill it about 1 inch (2.5 cm) high. Fill a dropper with another juice and slowly drop it onto the inside of the glass so that it runs down the side of the glass. Watch the juice to see if it goes below or above the juice in there. (if it simply mixes with the juice and does not go above or below, it has the same density as the juice and you will need to move on to your next juice.
Continue experimenting with other juices to determine which juices go to the bottom (more dense) and which ones go to the top (least dense.)
Once you have the densities determined, start over with a clean glass and use the dropper for each level to create your final Drink of Density!
Note: In case you were wondering, the juices in the photo are (top) Tropicana Pomegranate-Blueberry, (middle) Tropicana Pure Premium Orange Juice, (bottom) Nature’s Promise White Grape (33 grams of sugar in 6.75 ounces!)
How Does It Work?:
The density of liquids demonstrates the the amount of “stuff” (atoms, mass) that are present in a particular volume of the juice. In other words, if you have cup with 200ml of plain water, and a cup with 200 ml of water that has lots of sugar dissolved in it, the cup of sugar water will be heavier even though they are the same volume of liquid – the invisible sugar molecules are dispersed in the water, making it heavier (more dense.)
Science Experiments, Experiment Videos, and Science Fair Ideas from Science Bob
Want more Hollywood magic? As part of the scene, the handle on my suitcase had to break off at just the right moment. Believe it or not, it was actually triggered by remote control! The special effects crew modified a real suitcase with a special trigger and a receiver. When they wanted it to break, they simply pushed a button on a remote control off-stage.
