If you’ve had fun reading about Steve Spangler’s science adventures in this blog, you should check out his extensive experiment library. SteveSpanglerScience.com offers hundreds of ever-changing, ever-growing free experiments!
From floating, growing Ivory Soap to finding the iron in a dollar bill, you are sure to find just the right experiment that uses materials you have right in your home. This library represents all of Steve’s most amazing, most requested experiments from his 9NEWS television segment as well as other appearances throughout his career.
Halloween is our favorite holiday at the Spangler labs. Science and Halloween go hand in hand and there is nothing better than turning off the lights and bringing out spooky, glowing science to make all of the kids ooh and ahh. Whether you are planning a Halloween party, looking for unique decorations, or just wanting to have some fun with your own kids at home, here are some glowing activities you can do.
Phosphorescence vs. Fluorescence Some materials glow after all the lights are turned off. This type of glow is called phosphorescence. A phosphorescent material absorbs and slowly re-emits energy in the form of light. Our Glow Powder used below is phosphorescent.
Some glowing materials will only work in the presence of ultraviolet light. These materials have a chemical property called fluorescence. Fluorescent materials absorb energy …
Clay and Nick from Lenski Elementary joined me on 9News this week to test the honesty of 9News anchor Mark Koebrich.
Two clear liquids are mixed together and a question is asked. A truthful answer, and the liquid will remain clear. An untruthful answer will cause the liquid to change color. Mr. Koebrich told a lie, and BAM! the liquid turned to black ink.
Okay, maybe a lie detector is going a little too far. It’s really a chemical reaction that is causing the clear liquid to change to black. The Iodine Clock Reaction is one of the most startling chemical demonstrations you’ll ever see.
This reaction is referred to as the Landolt Clock Reaction. There are three steps in the process that cause this amazing reaction. When you prepare the Solutions A, B, and C, the chemicals begin to mix and form new chemical compounds.
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This demonstration involves fire and is intended for trained chemistry teachers. Do not do this at home.
Homer Hickam’s Rocket Boys is the story of kids in the 1950′s who were fascinated with rocket science. The characters use pipes filled with gun powder to experiment with rocketry. Teachers use the book as a literary connection with the science lesson about rockets. The key is in the nozzle. The book was later turned into the movie, October Sky.
The book is the perfect introduction to rocket science and the power of air pressure. Students build PVC Rocket Launchers with pipe and construction paper and then test their design in real life. Students don’t use fuel in their lessons but instead use air pressure.
Chemistry teachers can demonstrate rocket power by using ethanol. Ethanol fuel is becoming popular because it burns clean. When it completely burns, the byproduct is water. Carbon dioxide is
This demonstration is for educational purposes only. Do not try this at home.
Methane is one of only 13 gases that are lighter than air. Pump a little methane into soapy water, add a little fire and watch it do its dance.
With the help of a very nervous Kirk Montgomery, we demonstrated how methane bubbles grow in a tower that sways like a snake. Lighting the methane turns the tower into fire bubbles and demonstrates that methane is flammable. This demonstration is used to teach fire safety in firefighter training, because it shows the movement of flammable gases.
One glass mason jar filled with water and capped off with a simple index card put the fear of getting wet into 9News Weathercaster Becky Ditchfield. She was worried she’d get wet. The threat of moisture invading her hair style and outfit was low, but she didn’t know that.
Fill the jar to the top with water, then cover the opening with a card. Turn the jar upside down and remove the card. Place said jar over a lucky volunteer’s head and the water doesn’t spill out. How does this work?
The science lies in the screen that secretly covers the top of the jar.
As long as the jar wasn’t tipped, Becky had nothing to worry about. The water is suspended in the jar because of air pressure and surface tension. When the jar is turned over, air pressure
