Earth Science I. Title: II. Materials
Earth Science I. Title: II. Materials
Earth Science I. Title: II. Materials
I. Title:
Plated Guesses
II. Materials:
Globe
Construction paper
tracing paper
pen or pencil
scissors
research materials on Pangaea theory
III. Procedure:
1. Lay tracing paper over the continents on a globe.
2. Trace the outline of the continents. Use the traced outlines as templates
to cut out continent shapes from the construction paper.
3. Attempt to piece them together to form Pangaea.
4. Use research material to com-pare your results to those models
constructed by other scientists.
IV. Application:
Most scientists believe that a long time ago, the seven continents
(North America, South America, Antarctica, Europe, Asia, Africa, and
Australia) were joined together to make one huge land mass. They
theorize that this super continent, referred to as Pangaea. Broke into
pieces and began moving apart. These parts, or "plates," are drifting as
the earth's crust drifts on the liquid core underneath. The theory and
study of these plates is called plate tectonics. Do the continents fit
comfortably together like the pieces of a jigsaw puzzle to form one
large land mass? You can cutout shapes of the seven continents and try
to piece them together. Hypothesize that the model can show an
accurate account of the plate theory.
I. Title:
High in the Sky
II. Materials:
wooden box frame about 2 feet by 4 or 5 feet and 1 or2inches deep
beach sand or playground sand
fan, preferably one with three speeds
brick
III. Procedure:
1. Construct a sandbox out of wood about two feet wide by four or five
feet long. It can be shallow, with a depth of an inch or two.
2. Fill the box with fine sand particles from a beach or playground. The
sand should be level. Set an electric fan at one end of the box.
3. Stand a brick upright about one foot in from the fan. Let the fan blow
for a length of time. Observe any sand erosion and any places where
sand is being deposited.
4. From your observations, conclude whether your hypothesis was
correct.
IV. Application:
When two high-rise buildings are next to each other with only a small
gap between them, the wind hitting the buildings directly is sucked
through the gap by the air that was already moving through the gap.
This is called the Venturi Effect. This experiment simulates in the
laboratory the effect a high-rise building might have on beach erosion.
Hypothesize that moving air will pick up sand particles in front of the
building or structure and deposit it to the sides behind the structure.
I. Title:
Deep Depression
II. Materials:
wooden box frame (about 2 feet by 4 or 5 feet, and 3 to4 inches
deep)
beach sand or playground sand
fan, preferably one with several speeds
popsicle sticks, model bushes or trees, and other materials that
might prevent wind erosion of dunes
III. Procedure:
1. Construct a wooden box frame about two feet wide by four or five feet
long. It should be at least three inches deep.
2. Fill it with sand and level it. In the middle, build a dune line
perpendicular to the flow of air. Dig a slight opening in the sand dune.
3. Set up a fan at one end of the box. Let the fan blow over the box frame
and observe the depression.
IV. Application:
An opening in a sand dune line can be naturally increasing. Once a
blowout section occurs, the wind continues to increase the size of the
opening. This is because the wind velocity increases as it travels
through the opening. As the open section get larger, more wind is
funneled through causing more erosion. High tides might come in and
out of the open section and make the situation worse.
I. Title:
The Breaking Point
II. Materials:
large "C" clamp
tabletop
piece of rope
weights such as those that come with barbells or dumbbells
four foot long boards: balsa wood, particleboard, oak, laminated
wood, and other available materials
ruler
III. Procedure:
1. Take a four foot long piece of balsa wood, about one inch wide and a
quarter-inch thick.
2. Using a "C" clamp, clamp one end of the board to the tabletop and let
the rest of the board hang off of the table. Beginning with the lightest
weight available, hang weights from the end of it. By hanging weights
near the floor, the weights do not have far to drop when the board
breaks.
3. Measure the distance it bends before being broken (bent beyond the
point from which it will flex back).
4. Measure the distance it moves before it breaks.
5. Repeat the experiment with other types of materials. Each material
should be of the same length, width, and thickness.
IV. Application:
Buildings in earthquake areas must be able to with stand a great
amount of bending without breaking if they are to survive the quake.
This experiment will determine the ten-sile strength and elasticity of
various materials that could be used in building structures in
earthquake areas.
I. Title:
Deep Freeze
II. Materials:
remote temperature-sensing device
outdoor thermometer shovel
area of ground where you can dig a small hole
yardstick
III. Procedure:
1. Obtain a remote sensing thermometer, which has the temperature
sensor separate from the indicating device.
2. Dig a one-foot-deep hole in the ground, and place the remote
temperature sensor in the hole.
3. Replace the soil back into the hole, covering the sensor. Mount an
outdoor thermometer in the air above the buried sensor to read the air
temperature.
4. Every day for a week, record air and ground temperatures.
5. At the end of the week, redig the hole to two feet deep and plant the
sensor at the two foot mark. Again, keep a temperature log for a week.
Repeat the experiment again with the sensor planted three feet deep.
IV. Application:
The temperature of the ground is often different than the air
temperature. In the evening following a sunny day, the ground may be
warmer than the night air. It has stored heat energy from the sun. In the
winter, the ground in your area might freeze. Hypothesize where the
frost line is for your area. There is a depth at which the danger of frost
is nonexistent. Knowing this depth is important to utility companies
who might need to lay water pipes underground.
I. Title:
Just Passing Through
II. Materials:
cake pan, about 10" by 14"
several tongue depressors
masonry brick (the smallest one you can find)
one piece of wood cut to the identical size and shape as the brick
one or two packages of modeling clay (enough to build a clay brick
the same size and shape as the masonry brick)
weight (five to ten ounces)
string
adhesive tape
water
miscellaneous scraps of wood to construct a swing stand
centimeter ruler
tabletop
III. Procedure:
1. Build the swing stand structure. Setup a cake pan with a brick in it.
Place it at one end. Tape a tongue depressor to the far end of the pan.
Be sure it rests on the bottom. Fill the pan half full with water.
2. Measure the depth of the water by marking the waterline on the tongue
depressor with a pencil. Be sure the entire experiment is stable and
still. It must be set up on a solid table or on the floor. Move the swing
structure into position. Do not let the swing structure touch the pan.
3. Position the weight to provide con-tact on the brick above the pan
surface but below the center of gravity on the brick. Be sure the weight
is securely tied in place.
4. Position the stand to hold the weight, perhaps another brick. Rest the
weight on top of it. This will assure each brick test material receives
the same force.
5. Slowly move the weight's resting stand away from the pan until the
weights wings toward the brick. After the weight hits the brick there
may be a transfer of energy through the brick to the water in the form
of a wave. The wave height will wet the tongue depressor, indicating
the amount of energy transmitted. Mark and measure the height of the
water on the tongue depressor.
6. Be sure the water is completely still after changing the test material
before inserting the tongue depressor. Do the experiment again using a
dry tongue depressor and a block of wood and block of clay.
IV. Application:
The speed of a seismic wave (an earth vibration) depends on the
material through which it must travel. The differences between the
materials of the inner core, outer core, mantel, and crust of the earth
vary in density and elasticity (its ability to return to the original
condition). As a wave passes from one material to another, the energy
is refracted (bent). In this project, the transmission of energy through a
material will be demonstrated using the height of a wave generated at
the other side of the material. The initial energy will be supplied by a
constant mass from a swing beginning at a constant height.
I. Title:
The Magic Lodestone
II. Materials:
several iron-bearing rocks (such as hematite, limonite, magnetite,
siderite, taconite)
iron filings (fragments)
strong magnet
balance beam scale or equivalent
sheet of papers
mall cardboard box (shoe box size)
III. Procedure:
1. Label the rocks A, B, C, etc. Magnetize rock "A" by using one pole of
the strong magnet and stroking the stone gently. After 100 strokes,
place "lodestone A" under a piece of clean paper. Shake the iron
filings onto the paper.
2. Next, while holding the paper against the magnetic stone. Turn the
paper and the rock upside down, allowing some of the iron filings to
fall into a catching box. The filings that remain because of the
magnetic force can then be dumped onto a scale and measured.
3. Use the same procedure for each rock. Use fresh iron filings for each
test to avoid possible magnetized filings.
IV. Application:
Lodestones are naturally occurring magnets. They are iron-bearing
materials that have been magnetized due to their position in the earth's
crust and its magnetic field. Ancient seafarers used them as compasses.
I. Title:
The Proof Is in the Pudding
II. Materials:
cake pan (about 8" x 14")
ingredients to make pudding
a knife (adult supervision)
two equal-sized wide spatulas
III. Procedure:
1. Have an adult help make the pudding and fill an 8" x 14" cake pan
with the pudding. As the pudding cools, a crust will form on the top.
Let it set until a crust appears. If the crust forms while the pudding on
the bottom is still warm, then this simulates the earth's crust even more
accurately because the earth's crustal plates are floating on hot molten
material too.
2. Take a knife and cut all around the outside edges of the cake pan to
separate the pudding from the pan. Also make a cut down the middle
of the pan, creating two "plates."
3. Put a wide-blade spatula on each of the outside edges of opposite ends
and push with slow and equal force toward the center where the
middle cut was made.
IV. Application:
Plate tectonics is the study of the movement of several large segments
of the earth's crust which float on top of the astheno (the upper mantle
molten material). These plates are slow moving. At some locations, the
plates are moving away from each other. At other points they are
sliding later-ally (sideways) past each other. At the boundaries where
plates collide because they are moving toward each other, the earth
must release great amounts of built-up pressure.
I. Title:
Crystal Clear
II. Materials:
Water
Pyrex beaker marked in milliliters
copper sulfate in crystalline form
spoon
string or thread
pencil or popsicle stick
III. Procedure:
1. Have an adult boil some water. Pour 50 milliliters of hot water into a
Pyrex beaker. Slowly add the crystal mineral, copper sulfate (CuSO4).
Continue adding copper sulfate to the boiling water, and stir until
crystal particles begin settling on the bottom. At this point, the solution
has reached a super saturated condition where no more mineral can be
dis-solved in the water.
2. Let it cool and stand at room temperature overnight. Do not disturb it.
Put it somewhere, such as on a window sill, where it will not get
bumped. Within the next two or three days, remove the biggest single
crystal you can find on the bottom of the beaker. This will be used as a
"seed" crystal upon which we will attempt to collect more crystals and
build a bigger one. Set the seed crystal aside.
3. Boil the solution in the beaker and again add more mineral until the
solution becomes supersaturated. We do not want the seed crystal to be
in the beaker at this time, because the hot water might dissolve it.
4. When the solution reaches a supersaturated condition, remove it from
the stove. Let it stand until it cools to room temperature. Tie a piece of
string around the large seed crystal and tie the other end to a pencil or
Popsicle stick. Put the pencil across the top of the beaker and let the
seed crystal hang down into the solution. Again, let the solution stand
undisturbed overnight.
IV. Application:
Crystals are minerals whose atoms are arranged in a pat-tern that
repeats over and over again until the object is large enough to be
visible (geometric shapes).Hypothesize that very large crystal
structures can be "grown.
I. Title:
Salt in the Wound
II. Materials:
several, plastic 8- ounce cups
measuring cup
box of table salt
freezer
two thermometers
teaspoon
III. Procedure:
1. Pour six ounces of tap water into two, eight-ounce cups. Add a
teaspoon of salt to one cup and two teaspoons of salt to the other.
2. Stir to completely dissolve the salt in the water. Insert a small
thermometer in each cup. Place the cups in a freezer. Periodically
check them to see if any ice has started to form.
3. When ice first appears as a rime (thin layer) on the surface, record the
temperature.
4. Repeat the experiment, each time dissolving more salt in the water,
until you eventually hit the point of saturation. Saturation occurs when
no more salt can be dissolved in the water. Adding more salt merely
settles it in the bottom of the cup as crystals.
IV. Application:
Salt (sodium chloride) causes water to freeze at a lower temperature. It
is used in ice cream makers to obtain lower temperatures. Also, it is
used to melt the ice from road surfaces and sidewalks. How cold can
water be? lap water freezes at 0 degrees Celsius (32 degrees
Fahrenheit).
I. Title:
In Hot Water
II. Materials:
table salt
water
stove burner thermometer (must read up to 150 degrees
Celsiusor300 degrees Fahrenheit)
a two-quart cooking pot with a lip around the top
two clothes pins (spring clip type)
measuring cup and spoon
III. Procedure:
1. Pour two cups of water into a pot. Measure arid dissolve as much salt
as possible in the water (at room temperature).Write down how much
salt you added (teaspoons, table-spoons, grams).
2. Next, add two more cups of water and stir it (this makes a 50 per cent
diluted solution). Use clothes pins to suspend a thermometer in the pot
of water (the thermometer should not touch the bottom of the pot).
3. Heat the solution and measure the increasing temperature. Adult
supervision is required when working around a hot stove. Record the
highest temperature reached.
4. Next, add an amount of salt equal to the initial quantity put in. This
makes a saturated solution at room temperature. Then heat the solution
to its hottest temperature. Add as much more salt as will dissolve. The
solution is now supersaturated. Measure and record your results, and
conclude whether your hypothesis was correct.
IV. Application:
Water boils at 212 degrees Fahrenheit (100 degrees Celsius) and will
get no hotter. At boiling, the liquid becomes a gas, or steam. A
pressure cooker allows water to become hotter than 212 degrees F
before boiling. This device causes an increase in pressure. Can we find
another method for increasing the boiling point? Will the addition of
salt change the boiling point? Will adding more salt matter? How
about a supersaturated saltwater solution? Form a hypothesis
I. Title:
Rock Garden
II. Materials:
several egg cartons
research books on rocks
paper and pencils
collection of local rocks
III. Procedure:
1. Collect as many different rock specimens as you can from around your
neighborhood. Use empty egg cartons to hold the specimens. Examine
the rocks closely. Assign each rock a specimen number and label it.
2. Place a rock in your palm and move it up and down to get a sense of
weight.
3. Compare the rocks by feel: smooth, rough, oily. Test them for specific
gravity, crystalline structure, luster, streak color, hardness, magnetic
properties, and photoluminescence, the luminescence caused by the
absorption of infra-red radiation, visible light, or ultraviolet light.
Using a rock identification book, attempt to name all of the specimens
based on the data you placed on your chart.
IV. Application:
Rocks have many identifying characteristics. Collect and identify
rocks found in your neighborhood. How many different characteristics
can you use in identification? Experiment to discover information.
How do local rocks compare to other rocks in your state? How did the
rocks get in your neighborhood? Some people import rocks from
faraway places to be used in driveways and landscaping.
I. Title:
Building Up or Down
II. Materials:
two aluminum cake pans
a box of plaster of paris (be sure to read warnings onthe label)
fine sand (equal amount to the plaster of paris)
two, empty one-gallon plastic milk jugs
2" x 2" x 8" wooden blocks
eight ounce bottle of water-soluble glue (Elmers)
two ring stands or homemade stands
one washcloth, cut into four strips
water
string
III. Procedure:
1. Set up the two cake pans with one end on a block. This will permit the
extra material to run down to the low end and be reused.
2. Mix the solutions in separate containers (the milk jugs).In one jug,
make a solution of plaster of paris. In the other, mix the water, glue,
and fine sand solution.
3. Keep these stock solutions wet to keep them in a liquid state. Water
can be added. Cover when not in use.
4. Position the ring stands over each pan. Saturate one of the washcloth
strips in the plaster solution and the other in the glue solution. Next, tie
them to the rings on the ring stands to allow them to drip down on to
the pan.
IV. Application:
There are natural structures that form by accretion (the slow, steady
buildup of material). Stalactites and stalagmites form in caves where
water containing minerals seeps through and drips. The minerals
adhere (stick) to other molecules of the same substance and increase
the size of the hanging stalactite. Most often the mineral is calcite in
lime-stone caves. The cave floor becomes spattered with the drip-ping
solution and the -growth- of a stalagmite occurs. Over a long period of
time the two pieces lengthen and meet forming a column.
I. Title:
Can You Feel the Difference?
II. Materials:
one piece of sandstone, at least two inches square
one piece of shale, at least two inches square
one piece of granite, at least two inches square
small cardboard box
dark cloth to cover the box
III. Procedure:
1. Set up a box with a cover. Place all three rock specimens in the box.
Ask individuals (people) to test the texture by putting their hand into
the box (behind the curtain) and arranging the rocks by texture.
2. Tell them to put the smoothest to the left and the coarsest to the right.
3. Check the results of each person's test and log the data.
IV. Application:
Sandstone is an accumulated material. It forms by layering and
compacting. Minerals carried by water help cement the small particles
to form stone. As the sandstone gets pushed lower and lower into the
earth's crust, the pressure and heat increase to form shale. Shale then
heats and melts as it gets pushed lower into the earth's crust. When it
cools it forms granite.
I. Title:
I Tumble for You
II. Materials:
rock tumbler
scrapings from sandpaper (fold it and rub it against itself,
collecting particles which fall off)
scrapings from corundum paper
ten common local rocks
Mohs hardness test kit (available at scientific supply firms see the
Resource List
III. Procedure:
1. Collect ten common rocks found in your area. They should be about
equal in size and of the same hardness. Pair the rocks that are the same
type and that have approximately the same number of sharp edges and
corners.
2. Scrape particles from sandpaper and corundum paper. Corundum is
extremely hard. Place the particles from the sandpaper into a rock
tumbler along with a pair of rocks, tumble them for several days.
3. Observe how much abrasion has taken place. The rocks should have
the same hardness. Add water to the tumbler also.
4. Now place a similar pair of rocks in the tumbler for the same amount
of time but use corundum particles instead of sand. Do this with all
pairs of rocks. Compare the results and conclude whether your
hypothesis was correct.
IV. Application:
Scientists use a scale to indicate the hardness of rocks. The Mohs scale
of hardness ranges from 1 (talc) to 10 (diamond) and is based on the
resistance of a rock to its being scratched. Diamond is the hardest
natural-forming material. A rock tumbler uses sand to smooth rocks by
abrasion. Hypothesize that adding particles of greater hardness (having
a higher Mohs scale number) will shorten the time a rock must remain
in a tumbler to be made smooth. This saves time, energy, and frees the
tumbler up for other work.
I. Title:
Petrified Paper Towel
II. Materials:
Elmer's glue
Water
paper towel and roll (the last end piece on the roll)
mixing pan (about 8" by 14", or longer than the paper towel roll)
III. Procedure:
1. In an 8" by 14" pan, mix a 2 to 1 portion of water to Elmer's glue
(twice as much water as glue). The quantity should fill the pan to at
least one-half inch depth. Start with four ounces of water and two
ounces of glue. Use more as needed.
2. Roll the paper towel and its role in the solution. Be sure all surfaces
are moistened. Stand it on its end and let it dry. Follow the same
procedure four more times, perhaps once in the morning and once
again in the evening for two days.
3. Let the paper towel dry completely for at least one week. Test for new
characteristics.
IV. Application:
One of the three fossil types is mineral replacement. A mineral is
dissolved in water. Often the mineral may be calcium. As a solution,
the mineral replaces the organic tissues in each cell. When the process
is complete, the object is rock-like, but it still maintains the shape and
form of the original material. Petrified wood is an excellent example of
this type of fossil. This type of fossil has a whole set of new
characteristics when compared to the original material.
I. Title:
Print Evidence
II. Materials:
10 objects to be imprinted (examples: clothespin, pencil, paper
clip, shell, golf ball)
Clay for embedding objects(the actual amount depends on the size
of the objects you are imprinting)
10 paper plates
10 index cards
25 answer sheets
25 (or more) test subjects (people)
III. Procedure:
1. Place a one-half-inch layer of clay in 10 paper plates. Be sure the clay
has been kneaded into softness. Using each object one at a time, press
the distinctive portion of the object into the clay.
2. Prepare a small card by folding it in half. Number the index cards from
one to ten. Place one numbered card next to each clay imprint. Prepare
answer sheets in advance. Provide for the observer's name, age, date,
sex, and answer spaces for the ten unknown prints.
3. Allow many different people to test their skill. The greater the number,
the more reliable your results. Log all answer sheets.
IV. Application:
Fossil imprints show evidence of past occurrences in nature. An
imprint is produced by an object being pushed or pressed into a softer
material. An animal stepping into clay, tar, or mud which later
hardens, leaves an imprint. This is evidence of the animal's existence
at that place and time.
I. Title:
Cryogenic Roses
II. Materials:
five rose buds just beginning to open
four plastic margarine bowls (one-pound tubs)
freezer
water
III. Procedure:
1. Fill four plastic margarine bowls with equal amounts of water. Pick
five relatively equal rose buds that are just beginning to open. Note
their fragrance if any is present. Sub-merge a rose bud in each bowl
and place them in a freezer. Maintain the fifth rose at room
temperature as a control. Observe daily.
2. At the end of one week, remove one bowl and let the imbedded bud
and ice thaw at room temperature. Observe the bud's color, overall
appearance, and texture.
3. A week later, take a second bowl from the freezer. Thaw, observe, and
record your observations. The thawing time should be identical to the
last one.
4. Each week, remove another frozen bud and evaluate until all have
been thawed.
IV. Application:
Cryogenics is the study of the effects of low temperatures on objects
and processes. Russian scientists discovered a wooly mammoth (an
extinct elephant) frozen in the Siberian ice. They thawed it, cooked a
piece, and ate it. It remained eatable. Hypothesize that all structures
frozen in ice will be pre-served well.
I. Title:
Heat from the Past
II. Materials:
one piece of "soft" coal
one piece of "hard" coal
measuring cup with spout for pouring bowl
Mohs scale of hardness test kit
Scale
III. Procedure:
1. Use a Mohs scale of hardness test kit to test each specimen and record
the results.
2. To measure for specific gravity, weigh a piece of coal on a scale.
Record its weight. Weigh a dry bowl that will be used to catch
displaced, overflowing water. Fill a measuring cup to overflowing
with water. When the water stops flowing, place the dry catch bowl in
position under the measuring cup's spout.
3. Gently place the coal in the water-filled cup. Causing some water to
overflow out of the spout and into the catch cup. When it stops
flowing, weigh the catch bowl with the water. Subtract the weight of
the catch bowl to find the weight of the water. Record the weight of
the water.
4. Divide the weight of the water into the weight of the coal (make it
accurate to two decimal places) to arrive at a figure for specific
gravity. Follow the same procedure for both pieces of coal. Be sure to
dry the catch bowl before each test.
IV. Application:
The coal that is taken from the earth to use as fuel was formed long
ago. Large ferns as tall as trees grew, fell, and decayed. More grew
and fell. Over long periods of time, the growth and death of massive
amounts of vegetation have continued. This material becomes
compacted and com-pressed. As it is forced deeper into the earth, it
encounters heat and pressure. These conditions cause it to form coal.
Oil and gas are also formed in those areas.
I. Title:
Up the Down Staircase
II. Materials:
wooden set of steps that have an indentation in them where people
walk
micrometer (a device for measuring very small distances)
III. Procedure:
1. Locate a wooden staircase that appears to have considerable erosion on
the steps where people frequently walk.
2. Using a measuring device, such as a micrometer or ruler), measure the
thickness of a step at the edge by the railing where no one walks.
Record this number.
3. Measure the depth of an indentation in the board where people walk,
probably in the center of the board. Compare the two figures. If treads
are to be replaced on an old set of stairs, cut through the worn portion
of a step board to allow more precise measurement.
IV. Application:
Abrasion can cause a wearing away by the scraping or rubbing of
objects. People wear away the surface of the things they walk on, such
as their shoes. Hypothesize that significant erosion takes place on steps
that are frequently used by abrasion from walking.
I. Title:
Inky Dinky Spider
II. Materials:
cement brick or block that has been at the bottom of a downspout
for many years
micrometer (a device for measuring very small distances)
III. Procedure:
1. Locate a brick or block by a downspout. Look around your
neighborhood. Be sure to get permission to be on someone's property.
Estimate how long it has been there by the amount of erosion that has
taken place on the brick at the point where most of the water hit.
2. You can use a micrometer to make and record accurate measurements
of the depth of the eroded area compared to other thickness areas of
the brick. Conclude whether your hypothesis was correct by asking the
homeowner how long the brick was in place.
IV. Application:
Rain gutters catch the runoff of rain from roofs, and funnel the water
down a spout. The water pouring out of the end of the downspout can
have considerable speed. This rapidly rushing flow can quickly wash
away soil. Masonry materials, such as cement and brick, are often
placed at the bottom of downspouts to bear the brunt of the raging
water's force and disperse the rain over the ground in a less erosive
manner.
I. Title:
Chinese Water Torture
II. Materials:
bar of soap
faucet that can be made to drip slowly
III. Procedure:
1. Position a bar of soap in a sink with a slow, steady drip of water
splashing on it from a faucet above. Set this experiment up at bedtime,
after everyone in the family is done using the sink for the day.
2. Let the water drip all night. In the morning, record the length of time
the water ran, the average number of drips per minute, and the amount
of soap that was washed away.
IV. Application:
A good portion of a bar of soap is wasted if the soap sits in a dish in
the shower stall with water washing over it. Just how long does an
average size bar of soap last? In this experiment, hypothesize how
much soap will be eroded if a slow drip hits the soap for several hours,
or perhaps overnight.
I. Title:
Throw in the Towel
II. Materials:
five foot long towel
two 2 x 4 lumber boards, six or seven feet long (or two poles that
can be used to support the towel and hold it up in the air, such as
volley ball net poles)
sandy area (desert, beach, or area where there is no cover crop)
two stakes
III. Procedure:
1. Locate a sandy area. Using two support poles or boards, hang a five
foot long towel lengthwise so that it starts at the ground and rises up
five feet. Use stakes or some other method to firmly hold the bottom of
the towel and keep it from swaying in the wind.
2. Wet the towel and keep it moist. The moisture should help trap and
retain sand particles.
3. After a period of time, take the towel down and evaluate the amount of
sand that has accumulated near the bottom, the middle, and the top of
the towel.
IV. Application:
Are sand particles transported by the wind to various heights? Using a
towel, we will trap sand particles at different heights above the ground.
Hypothesize that more sand will be trapped nearer the ground than up
higher.
I. Title:
Easy Come, Easy Go
II. Materials:
shoreline area
research materials
drawing materials
III. Procedure:
1. Study and draw a map of a shoreline for a town that borders the sea.
Can you see any clues that might reveal a trend of how sand is eroding
or being deposited? Have jetties been erected in the near past?
2. If so, you can hypothesize how the shoreline used to look. Draw how
you think it used to look.
3. Research the area at the library or interview some long-time residents.
Does it in fact look like it did years ago? Conclude whether your
hypothesis was correct.
IV. Application:
Sand often gets deposited where you don't want it and gets removed
from areas where you do want it. This is particularly true along the
seashore, where water and wind trans-port sand particles. Along the
coast, one town's loss is another town's gain. Hypothesize how a
shoreline appeared in the past.
I. Title:
Perfect Pitch
II. Materials:
Soil
soil sieves
five foot-long downspout pipe or rain gutter
gallon water jug and water
scale
several bricks
several bags
square yard of cheesecloth
III. Procedure:
1. Using a soil sieve, separate soil particles or stones into three or four
separate sizes. Make four or five bags full of equal amounts of small,
medium, and large particles. Using a five-foot-long downspout pipe or
section of rain gutter, thoroughly wet the pipe.
2. Spread a bag of material inside the pipe, lining the bottom of it. Set
one end of the pipe up on bricks. You will add more bricks to get a
steeper slope. Clear off the landing area at the bottom of the pipe.
Place several folds of cheesecloth at the bottom to trap sand particles.
3. Pour one gallon of water down the chute. Using a sand sieve, separate
the particles that the water carried out of the pipe. Measure how much
each size came out, perhaps by using a scale.
4. Completely clean out the pipe. Do this experiment again at different
slopes. The pipe should be wet, otherwise your first run would be in a
dry pipe and the others in a wet pipe, which might affect results. Use
new cheesecloth.
IV. Application:
The carrying ability of a stream is related to how much volume it has
and its velocity. A garden hose with a one-half-inch diameter could
clean dirt from your driveway. A three-inch diameter fire hose could
clean people from your drive-way! The steeper the slope, the greater
fly speed of the water. Hypothesize the carrying capacity of a stream
due to its pitch.
I. Title:
Sudsy Slime
II. Materials:
cups of hot water.
Food colouring (Optional)
1 cup of soap flakes
Electric beater or whisk
Mixing bowl
Safety goggles
III. Procedure:
1. Pour the water and food colouring into the bowl and mix.
2. Add the soap flakes and mix with an electric beater on high until a
thick foam is produced. This usually takes about five to ten
minutes. Be careful, this foam expands exponentially.
3. The more you whip the foam, the more puffed up the slime
becomes! Now let it setter for a few hours, its texture will change.
IV. Application:
Whipping the hot soapy solution creates a foam, which is a colloidal
dispersion of a gas in a liquid. The gas in this case is air and the liquid is
the soapy solution. The resulting soapy foam is so dense it feels slimy to
the touch! A small amount can easily fill a large tub, which makes it an
inexpensive way to make mountains of it for the kids to play.