Red cabbage indicator is often used as an introduction to pH and indicators, but did you know you can make an indicator from blackberries? Blackberries contain anthocyanins, which are pigments that change colour depending on pH. Anthocyanins are a natural indicator. An indicator is a substance that changes colour when added to solutions of a…
A tower of slippery ice cubes might sound impossible to build, but adding a little salt makes it much easier! Materials Ice – 4-8 cubes Salt Plate or tray Instructions Try to stack the ice cubes. They will topple off each other. Leave the ice cubes to melt for a few minutes. Try to stack…
I usually do this viscosity experiment using different liquids such as water, oil, ketchup and treacle. This version is a special syrup filled investigation for pancake day! The idea is that you record how long it takes different delicious pancake syrups to flow down a ramp. Thicker ( more viscous ) liquids will flow more…
Sterling silver jewellery tarnishes easily because it contains copper. Copper makes silver stronger, but it binds with particles of sulphur in the air, producing silver sulfide, which is the black layer you find on silver jewellery after a period of time. This easy activity cleans jewellery by using a chemical reaction between aluminium foil, baking…
Did you know you can separate salt and pepper with static electricity? It works because pepper is lighter than salt, so while both salt and pepper are attracted to an object charged with static electricity, only the lighter pepper jumps up. Static electricity is the build-up of electrical charge on the surface of an object….
Salt is a brilliant, versatile and inexpensive ingredient for science at home. It can be used to cool a drink or make ice cream quickly, for a lava lamp, and to make coloured salt crystals. Salt is an interesting substance as it lowers the freezing point of water, leading to lots of exciting science experiments!…
This simple science demonstration uses only a few basic materials but demonstrates several scientific concepts and looks super impressive. Showing children the end result first is a great way to get them to start questioning and thinking about what’s happening and why. There are two different things children can observe with this activity. Adding salt…
Freshwater freezes at 0°C. The presence of salt lowers the freezing point, and the higher the salt content in the water, the lower the freezing point gets. This is why salt is often used to grit icy roads in winter. It slows down water freezing on roads, making driving safer. Seawater contains salt. It will…
Candle carousels date back to the 1800s and originated in Germany. They are thought to have been inspired by windmills. Early versions were very simple, but over time, they became more elaborate with multiple tiers. Today, candle carousels are found around the world as decorations. The basic structure of a candle carousel is a central…
Diamond is the hardest natural substance on Earth. Why is diamond so strong? Diamond is made up of a network of carbon atoms that each form four strong covalent bonds. The strong bonds take a lot of energy to break, so diamond has a high melting and boiling point. This type of structure is called…
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