Science... at home!

[emzie]

There are countless at-home demonstrations and experiments that can be done with basic household items. Remember, when as a kid, someone showed you baking soda + vinegar? Science is cool like that.

For example, digestion starts in the mouth with enzymes found in our saliva. Amylase breaks down complex carbs into sugars. To experience this yourself, buy some non-salted soda crackers and chew one up. Let it sit in your mouth for 2-3 minutes and you'll start to taste sweetness as amylase breaks the starches down.

Another classic is a non-Newtonian liquid. Take corn starch and mix it ~2:1 with water. You'll have a substance that acts like a solid when you quickly apply force (like punching it or jabbing it with your finger) and a liquid when handled gently (slowly pushing in a spoon). Mythbusters used this, dyed blue, to "run across water"

Some basic rules: Nothing dangerous (no drano bombs, no thermite) and nothing that can't be easily bought at a store (no liquid nitrogen).

 

[Riffraff]

• Stand still and wait
• Push over your little brother
• Punch a wall really hard

Newton I,II and III ... all covered.

 

[PeteAtoms]

You can light your farts on fire (dangerous though?)
You can make an electromagnet with a battery, a metal rod and copper wire.

 

[Masquerouge]

You can show how lift works simply by holding a sheet of paper on your chin, letting it go limp, and blowing on it. The difference in airflow will make the sheet of paper go up - this works like an airplane wing.

 

[Kerozine]

Salt + Water + Ice + Warm can of soda = Ice-cold can of soda

Works with any other drink in a sealed container.

 

[emzie]

You can show how lift works simply by holding a sheet of paper on your chin, letting it go limp, and blowing on it. The difference in airflow will make the sheet of paper go up - this works like an airplane wing.

Need a better explanation, picture or a diagram cause I couldn't get this to work

 

[musekick]

1. You can make lightbulbs run off of veggies.
2. Compare mold growth on a regular piece of bread versus a Twinkie.

 

[Rashiminos]

Need a better explanation, picture or a diagram cause I couldn't get this to work

Hold the sheet of paper width-wise, then blow down its length from above the paper.

 

[emzie]

1. You can make lightbulbs run off of veggies.

But how?

On the same subject, fluorescent bulbs will glow from electromagnetic fields under power lines.

Hold the sheet of paper width-wise, then blow down its length from above the paper.

O! Cool! Did it.

 

[PeteAtoms]

When you tune an stringed instrument (like a guitar) you can hear the wave interference in the soundwaves....

You can mess around with magnets and metal filings to illustrate magnetic fields.

 

[SS-18 ICBM]

Pieces of metal, i.e. steel wool or magnesium ribbon, are placed in a diluted strong acid; the resulting hydrogen can be captured in one of the following ways, based on the equipment available:

* An inverted siphon leading to a bath of soapy water

* An inverted, graduated cylinder to measure volume

* An inverted vessel with a tap. If the metal is held at a fixed height, and the tap is closed, hydrogen will force the acid down out of the vessel, stopping the reaction until the tap is opened.

[edit] Results

Soap bubbles will float in air and (if small) can be lit on fire.

Based on the height of water in a graduated cylinder, the pressure can be calculated. This and the measured volume can be used with the ideal gas law to find the number of moles of hydrogen, and this can be compared to the original mass of the metal to find its formula weight.

The self-regulating tap is a good example of negative feedback, and the hydrogen can be put to other uses.

[edit] Chemical explanation

Metal ions displace hydrogen from the acid. Using magnesium and hydrochloric acid as an example, the reaction is Mg + 2HCl = MgCl2 + H2.

From wikipedia. Depends on whether you consider acid dangerous, even though it is sold as a cleaning agent.

 

[musekick]

1. You can make lightbulbs run off of veggies.

But how?

http://www.how-things-work-science-projects.com/potato-battery.html

 

[emzie]

Fill a soda can with ~inch of water. Bring the water to a boil (tongs + lighter... don't hold the can... seriously) and then flip the can and stick the top ~1½ - 2 inches into ice water, covering the mouth opening completely. If done right, the rapid drop in temperature will cause a dramatic drop in air pressure, crushing the can.

 

[Kerozine]

Break a wine glass using your voice or sound system .

Resonance can be a deadly force (?); it can even take down entire bridges!

Though its most humble use I've ever heard of is to make bathroom stalls vibrate through humming?

 

[Perfection]

MAKE ICE SPIKES!

 

[History_Buff]

You could always start mixing some chemicals in your sink. I suggest Ammonia and Bleach myself.


But liquid nitrogen is actually really easy to get, you can by the stuff for about a quarter a litre (ie, cheaper than bottled pop or water) at most chemical supply shops, or anywhere that sells welding gear. The expensive part is the flask to store it.

 

[Knight-Dragon]

Moderator Action: Moved to S/T.

 

[emzie]

You could always start mixing some chemicals in your sink. I suggest Ammonia and Bleach myself.


But liquid nitrogen is actually really easy to get, you can by the stuff for about a quarter a litre (ie, cheaper than bottled pop or water) at most chemical supply shops, or anywhere that sells welding gear. The expensive part is the flask to store it.

Chlorine gas is pretty bad, Think this falls under "Dangerous"

 

[peter grimes]

From wikipedia. Depends on whether you consider acid dangerous, even though it is sold as a cleaning agent.

Will this work with Vinegar (acetic acid)?

 

[Aramazd]

Get silver nitrate and draw tatoos on yourself!