MAGIC SAND Experiment
Fill a small clear plastic cup half full of water. Slowly sprinkle the magic
sand onto the surface of the water. As you add more and more sand,
what happens? After all of the sand has been added, pour off the water
into another clear cup, leaving the sand behind. Examine the sand.
Repeat as many times as you wish. After using, pour off most of the water
and set the sand aside to dry. It is completely reusable.
Explanation
The magic sand has a coating that is hydrophobic (water hating). It is
composed of a material similar to Teflon, the nonstick coating on some
cooking pans. The coated sand particles clump together when added to
water and eventually their weight causes them to sink to the bottom
when the surface tension of the water is broken.
Mini
Chemistry
Kits
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Magic_sand
http://portal.acs.org/portal/fileFetch/C/CSTA_015137/pdf/CSTA_015137.pdf
6
WATER-GEL Experiment
Add ½ teaspoon of the water gel powder to a clear plastic cup. Quickly
add ½ cup of water to the cup with the water gel. Wait 5 seconds and
turn the cup over. The water stays inside! After use, you may discard the
polymer gel in the trash can. Tube contains enough polymer powder for
about 10 experiments. Experiment to see how much water the gel can
absorb.
Explanation
The powder is a polymer (a large molecule made of many identical
smaller units). Other examples of polymers include plastics, and
cellulose (wood). This polymer has a long name: sodium polyacrylate.
This useful chemical has the amazing property of being able to absorb
about 500 times its weight in water! As it absorbs water, the polymer
chains bind with a weak hydrogen bond to water molecules, trapping
the water in a gel. An important consumer application of this chemical is
in disposable baby diapers.
Have your parents assist you with your mini-kit. These items
have been selected because they are, in general, very safe. As
some of the items may present a choking hazard if swallowed,
do not place any of the items into your mouth. Keep them
away from small children. Wash your hands after use of the pH
paper, the borax, and the water gel. If you have questions, feel
free to email me.
1
4
Feedback
I welcome feedback (positive and negative). I would love to get pictures, comments, questions or
other feedback regarding your chemistry mini-kit. As an incentive for you to do this, I am offering,
as long as the supply lasts, an additional mini-chemistry fun tube for those who email me with
feedback.
Acknowledgements
This chemistry demonstration and the chemistry mini-kits were made possible by a generous
grant from the American Chemical Society, the world’s largest scientific society, with over
150,000 members dedicated to the advancement of chemistry. www.acs.org
Sources of some of the mini-kit items and other fascinating chemistry items:
http://www.teachersource.com/
http://www.stevespanglerscience.com/
http://scientificsonline.com
Further chemistry experiments using household items can be found on these websites:
http://scifun.chem.wisc.edu/homeexpts/homeexpts.html
http://www.science-house.org/learn/CountertopChem/
http://www.stevespanglerscience.com/experiments
Explanation
The glue is composed of extremely long molecules of a polymer called
polyvinyl acetate. The borax links the molecules together, making them
much more difficult to separate.
http://homeschooling.gomilpitas.com/extras/Gak.htm
http://www.stevespanglerscience.com/experiment/00000039
Contact information:
Bryan Hearn (“Dr. Bry the Science Guy”)
www.chemdemo.com
[email protected]
www.sjhearn.com
Put 1 tablespoon of Elmer’s white glue (not school glue) into a zipper
sandwich bag. Add 1 tablespoon of water, seal and mix.
In a cup, mix 1 tablespoon of the borax powder and 1 tablespoon of
water. Pour the borax mixture into the sandwich bag with the glue. Seal
and mix for several minutes.
Remove and enjoy! Stretch. Squeeze. Do not get it in your hair or on
fabric or carpet! Store in an airtight container to keep it from drying out.
The kit makes several recipes. Discard in the trash when finished with
your gak. Try the slime variation below (on the Steve Spangler site).
Sources
This booklet designed by:
GAK/FLUBBER
5
pH PAPER Experiment
UV-BEADS
Moisten the pH paper with various household liquids. Try milk, vinegar,
baking soda (in water), dishwashing detergent, lemon or lime juice.
Compare the color with the pH Color Chart below to determine the
approximate pH. Use half of each strip for a different test. Discard in the
trash when finished.
String your beads onto the rawhide cord to make a bracelet or keychain or
zipper pull.
Explanation
pH is the measure of the concentration of ammonium ions (H30+)in a liquid.
It helps predict chemical properties of the liquid. Extremely high (12-14) or
low (1-2) pH solutions tend to be very reactive.
Further pH experiments:
http://www.reachoutmichigan.org/funexperiments/agesubject/lessons/ne
wton/HseChem.html
pH Color Scale
Expose the beads to bright sunlight and watch them change color.
Experiment to see how long it takes them to change to their colors. See how
long it takes them (in the dark) to return to their white state.
These beads contain a dye that makes them photochromic -- they change color
upon exposure to ultraviolet (UV) light. In the dark, the beads slowly lose their
color. The beads can cycle between colorless and color thousands of times.
Further experiments:
http://www.exploratorium.edu/spectra_from_space/ultra_activity.html
pH 1
pH 2
pH 3
pH 4
pH 5
pH 6
pH 7
pH 8
pH 9
pH 10
pH 11
acidic
acidic
acidic
acidic
acidic
acidic
neutral
basic
basic
basic
basic
2
3
pH 12
pH 13
pH 14
basic
basic
basic