Introduction to Science Experiments
Are you searching for some easy yet interesting experiments to do at home? You have come to the right place. Here are a few simple experiments you can try at home.
Science is a very vast and interesting subject. It is a branch of knowledge that discusses various topics like human bodies, planets, chemicals, the universe, and more.
The observations, theories, and phenomenons can be proven through a series of experimentation. Various concepts of sciences like chemistry, physics, etc can be taught or witnessed through simple experiments. Here are a few colorful and interesting experiments you must try.
Paper chromatography
Paper Chromatography is the science of separating colored chemicals or substances. Witness different colors separating from one black marker.
Materials required:
- Coffee filter or blotting paper or paper towels.
- One liter glass jar
- Paper clip
- Skewer or pencil
- Water-soluble black marker
- Scissors
- Water
Procedure:
- Cut one or two inches of a wide strip of a coffee filter or the paper you have chosen.
- Make sure that the length of the strip is less than the length of the chamber.
- Draw a thick line at the bottom of the paper with a black marker.
- Fill the chamber with one-quarter of water.
- Hang the paper to the edge of the chamber using a paper clip. Place the paper strip in such a way that the water touches the paper. The water level should be below the marked line.
- Now, you can watch colors like blue, green, and yellow spreading as the water travels up the paper.
- You can witness the formation of colors like yellow, orange, green, and blue on the paper.
How does this occur?
Paper chromatography is a type of planar chromatography. It is a technique used for the separation of various chemical substances dissolved in one material. Here in this experiment, the ink on the paper is separated into various colors.
The colors which moved farthest have less density, while the colors which are near to the paper surface have more density.
Paper chromatography is an easy yet efficient way to separate various particles in small quantities. This works because of the density difference between the particles.
Lava lamp
We might have stared endlessly at the beauty of lava lamps. These beautiful lamps can be easily made at home.
Materials required:
- Clean plastic bottles with smooth edges.
- Vegetable or mineral or baby oil.
- Fizzing tablets.
- Food coloring.
Procedure
- Fill the bottle with one-quarter of water.
- Pour the vegetable or other oil you have chosen until the bottle is full.
- Wait for a few moments for the water and oil to separate.
- Add a few drops of your favorite food coloring.
- You can turn off the lights and put on the flashlight through the bottle.
- Break the fizzy tablet into two parts and drop one part into the bottle.
- Witness the lava lamp while the blobs are bubbling.
How does it work?
You might have seen that the oil is floating above the water. This is because of the less density of oil. Whereas the food coloring and water are of equal density, thus it gets dissolved in water.
When you add the fizzing tablet, it settles down at the bottom of the bottle and releases carbon dioxide while dissolving.
Since the gas is less dense than water, it moves up creating colored bubbles. When the air bubbles move up, water becomes heavy and sinks. This process continues until the tablet completely dissolves. This works due to the concept of density.
A volcano
Active and explosive volcanoes are easy to make at home.
Materials required
- 10ml of dish soap
- 100ml of cold water
- 400ml of white vinegar
- Food coloring
- 2litres empty bottle
- Slurry baking soda
Procedure
- Mix vinegar, water, dish soap, and few drops of food color in an empty bottle
- Mix the slurry baking soda with a spoon until it becomes a watery paste with no lumps
- Let’s erupt! Now pour this slurry into the bottle quickly and step back.
Further visit: 5 Best Laptops For Computer Science Students
How does this occur?
Vinegar and baking soda react with each other and form the gas Carbon Dioxide. This gas tries to escape from the bottle.
Since there is not enough room in the bottle for the gas to come out, it leaves very quickly through the nozzle of the bottle causing an eruption. This works due to the acid-base reaction.
These are simple ways to learn the concepts of science in an interesting way. These experiments work on different laws of science.
Though these experiments are simple, they are used in various ways in daily life to identify the impurities present in a substance. There are thousands of other laws in science that help us lead a better life.
