Topic - Summer Science

Colorful Dissolving Candy Kitchen Science

By Blog Editor Susan Wells 

There are several classic candy experiments making the rounds on the Internet, so I thought I’d try a few with the kids to see if they really worked.

Dissolving Gobstopper Experiment

First, we tried the Gobstopper experiment. This one is perfect for budding scientists who like to guess or hypothesize about what will happen before you start. Gobstoppers have at least four layers of different flavors, so this experiment gets really fun.

Start by filling a petri dish halfway full with water. Then add four different colored Gobstoppers on opposite sides. Observe what happens. The colors do not mix but instead create sharp edges and stop. This is a simple science fair experiment for young children – you can mix up the experiment or change the variables, by using different types of dissolving candies, like Skittles, Lifesavers, etc, different types of liquids like soda, milk, water, etc or by changing the temperature of the water. What will dissolve the candy faster? Cold or hot water?

This is also a fun activity to try using different amounts of candy. What happens where there are two or three in the

Candy Science – What’s Inside a Piece of Candy?

By Blog Editor Susan Wells

I don’t always encourage my kids to play with their food, but sometimes it’s necessary to see just what is inside.

We went to the store. My girls don’t get a lot of candy, except maybe at Halloween and Easter, so spending a little time in the candy aisle was a real treat.

We decided to try out a few classic candy experiments that are found all over the Internet. I will share a few with you this week and the rest next Monday. You can find complete step by step instructions along with the science behind each experiment on our Sick Science! Summer Camp Candy Chemistry Experiments page.

This week’s experiments revolved around what is inside the candy, and what reactions we would get if we dropped it all in some type of liquid.

The first experiment we tried was testing different chocolate candy bars and determining which ones would float or sink. Of the four we tried (Hershey’s, Kit Kat, Snickers and Three Musketeers) two sank and two floated at the top. The two with air pockets – Kit Kat and Three Musketeers floated. The

Tornadoes in a Bottle – Discovery, Wonder and Science for All Ages

By Blog Editor Susan Wells

For this week’s Sick Science! Summer Camp, we put together a few new bottles and watched the vortex.

I have worked for Steve Spangler Science since my oldest child was 3 years old and before I had my second. They have grown up playing with science toys. One of the first science experiments that I brought home from work was the Tornado Tube.

The Tornado Tube is an incredibly simple toy, created by Craig Burnham. Fill one bottle 3/4 full of water and connect it along with a second to the tube. Spin the bottle around and start a tornado in a bottle. The hole between the bottles creates a vortex, like water down the drain in a tub. It’s a tornado vortex in your hand!

My girls have played with Tornado Tubes since they were tiny. We’ve always had at least one put together in our house at all times.

I put several together when my oldest was in kindergarten and brought them into her class. The kids couldn’t wait to play with them and get the water swirling.

Sugar Water Density Towers – Escape the Heat and Experiment in the Kitchen

By Blog Editor Susan Wells

For this week’s Sick Science! Summer Camp we experimented with density using sugar and water. Usually around this time of the summer we are looking for indoor activities to do on a rainy summer day. This summer has been extremely hot and dry across the country. Many areas are facing severe drought situations.

So instead of a rainy day activity, we hunkered down inside to stay out of the midday sun and 100 degree temperatures.

This experiment teaches a lesson in density and supersaturated liquids. Do your children like to dump spoonfuls of sugar into their Kool-Aid or a giant scoop of Gatorade powder into a glass of water like mine do?

Time to take out the sugar and demonstrate what happens when you add 14 spoonfuls of sugar to one small cup of Kool-Aid.

Instead of using Kool-Aid, we used colored water, but either one will work.

For this experiment, everything you will need is found in your kitchen. Hence, the name Kitchen Science, but you knew that. We used materials from Steve Spangler Science, because well you know why. I’ll list the kitchen supplies, but

Will I Get a Sunburn on a Cloudy Day? Testing the Power of the Sun with Energy Beads

By Blog Editor: Susan Wells

My girls hate applying sunscreen in the summer. It’s their least favorite activity of all time.

Headed to the park? Apply sunscreen.

Headed to the pool? Apply sunscreen.

Headed out on a bike? Apply sunscreen.

MOM!!!

They always look for ways to get out of applying the sunscreen…”Mom, it’s a cloudy day, we won’t burn.”

We all know by now that you can get a sunburn on a cloudy day. Why?

Ultraviolet light is an invisible form of light energy. Just like in the visible light spectrum, the ultraviolet spectrum also includes many different wavelengths of light.

Long wave ultraviolet light is also known as black light. This light makes decorations glow. Long wave UV light easily passes through plastic and glass.

Short wave ultraviolet light is used to kill bacteria, hasten chemical reactions (as a catalyst), and is also valuable in the identification of certain fluorescent minerals. Unlike long wave UV, the short wave UV cannot pass through ordinary glass or most plastics. The shortest wavelengths cannot even travel very far through the air before being absorbed by oxygen molecules as they are converted into ozone.