Here are some activities for you to try:
Eggs with Unity
Eggs have an arch design in which compression forces are diverted from the top and bottom of the egg down to the sides. How much compression force can a group of eggs take before they’re smashed? Watch the video!
Flaming Dollar
A dollar bill is soaked in 1 part water to 1 part isopropyl alcohol, and then lit. The liquid burns off, but the dollar bill doesn’t ignite. Watch the video for an explanation.
Mechanical System
Build a mechanical system by building and conecting simple machines. You can use anything available to you. Some ideas are presented in this video.
Egg Inertia
The law of inertia states that an object at rest will remain at rest unless acted upon by an external force. If you hit a pan of eggs to the floor will the eggs go with it? Watch the video and try it yourself.
Elephant Toothpaste
Watch this amazing experiment that uses the rapid decomposition of hydrogen peroxide to create a foamy substance that looks like a volcano erupting! So how does it work? After concentrated hydrogen peroxide is mixed with soapy liquid, a catalyst (a substance that starts or speeds up a chemical reaction) such as potassium iodide or manganese dioxide is added to rapidly break down the hydrogen peroxide into water and oxygen. While the hydrogen peroxide breaks down, the water combines with the soap to create foam, rapidly spilling out of the tube as the oxygen pushes it out. Food coloring is added before the catalyst to give it a nice color.
Bottle Rockets
This video shows the general design of water bottle rockets and several launches. You may choose one variable to change that will increase flight distance. Variables include fin shape, fin size, fin placement, volume of water, etc. I also love that there is not just one design that works. Here is a student handout. Water Bottle Rocket Lab
