August 5, 2008

Contest Winner Makes Summer Camp a Huge Success

When we invited our customers to show us their Summer Science Camps with You Tube videos, Cheryl Purdum when above and beyond the call. Any teacher who is willing to dress up as a Mad Scientist to win a gift certificate to our website clearly deserved that winning title.

Cheryl followed up with us later in the summer to let us know that her summer camp was a huge success. Her pictures were such a treat... I loved looking at the kids' facial expressions and to truly see a sense of wonder. The color mixing activities looked like they were a big hit, and the cornstarch walk was a riot. Just the look on their faces tells the whole story! I can't think of anyone who could have put the gift certificate to better use. Thanks so much, Cheryl, for your enthusiasm for teaching science and for all that you do to create experiences for kids that they'll never forget.

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July 23, 2008

How the Mentos Geyser Works - Theory Confirmed!

It's probably the most asked question we get... "How exactly does that experiment with the Mentos and Diet Coke really work?" From the outset (nearly eight years ago), we hypothesized that the exploding soda was a physical reaction, and the key factor in the release of carbon dioxide was the microscopic pits on the surface

of the chewy mint. However, there was no real scientific study that anyone could point to as the definitive answer... until now. In the June issue of the American Journal of Physics, Tonya S. Coffey, an assistant professor of physics and astronomy at Appalachian State University, in Boone, N.C., and her team of fearless physics students reported on the ingredients, temperature dependence, duration, and other parameters of the suddenly famous Mentos-Diet Coke reaction.

There has been considerable debate over gum arabic (found in the coating of the mint) and the role it plays in the physical reaction. Coffey’s group was able to confirm that the surfactant gum arabic is a key component of the reaction: It reduces surface tension, thereby

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July 14, 2008

Upside-Down Tomatoes a Big Hit in Indiana

We love it when people read our blog, try the cool and funky things we suggest, have tons of fun doing it, and SUCCEED! Mamacita of Scheiss Weekly tried our Upside-Down Tomatoes and so far, it's been a BIG HIT out there in southern Indiana. We might suggest that she find a better place to put that sharp box cutter, though. Watch your fingers, Mamacita!

July 3, 2008

July 4th Science - Exploding Watermelons

Over the years, the exploding pumpkin demo is right up there at the top of my short list for my all time favorite, crowd-pleasing science demonstration. But who wants to wait a whole year just to do the demo again? That's why we're working on the fine art of watermelon carving... with the aid of a tiny chemical reaction... okay, it's an explosion. We just substituted a big, juicy watermelon in place of the pumpkin and pulled the trigger. Since the walls of a watermelon are not necessarily as strong as a pumpkin, sometimes the whole darn thing explodes... but that adds to the fun. Check out the video. (If the video doesn't play, click on Exploding Watermelon Experiment.)

June 26, 2008

UV Beads Help Students Understand the Importance of Sunscreen

You might have seen t-shirts or special jewelry (beads) that changes color in sunlight. UV Beads look like ordinary white beads used to make a craft project, but embedded in the plastic is a special pigment that changes color when exposed to ultraviolet light. The color change takes place in just seconds - almost like magic. Mrs. Bratteli’s Third Grade Class from Aikin Elementary School in Paris, Texas, used the beads as a way to see if sunscreen lotion really blocks out harmful ultraviolet light from the sun. We did an experiment with your UV beads and sunscreen and the types were 10, 30, and 50 SPF. We put them each on a foam plate and had a nothing plate. [control—no sunscreen] They changed colors exactly how they were supposed to, but the 50 you couldn’t see. Read the full experiment write-up. But, like all good experiments, these third graders discovered something else... We left them all over the weekend and here are our results. The SPF 50 sunscreen also ate through the Styrofoam plate! The spf 10 … (more...)