chemistry experiments

[mimififi]

Hi there
My 8 year old son is starting a grade 4 (year 3) chemistry unit of work. One of the books I'm using is 'adventures with Atoms and Molecules" and " the Kingfisher illustrated science Encylcopedia"

What I am after is some ideas for other experiments that can done in the home using easily available equipment/chemicals that are suitable for this age group. He is quite sparky and is good at picking up new concepts.

Many thanks
mimi

[Matt_PNE]

How about getting a funnel (if you have one) or some otherwise conical shaped item with a hole at the top. Invert it, and fill the hole with bicarbonate of soda (sodium bicarbonate). To illustrate the principle that the reaction of an acid with a carbonate yields carbn dioxide gas, quickly pour some vinegar into the hole, and watch as the liquid foams and erupts like a volcano, because of the production of CO2 gas from the reaction.

[mimififi]

Hi Matt,
good thinking, we have done this before from a 'fake volcano' point of view, but haven't talked about the chemicular reaction. I shall definately start with this one, especially as they way you have described it makes it seem more sciency!!!!

thank you so much for responding.

[jake-the-peg]

Take some oxygenating weed from a pond and put it in a glass of ware with a funnel upside down over the top an a test tube full of water over the top of that.

Leave it on the window sill and aftre a while you should shart to catch a gas in the test tube - oxygen

You can show it's oxygen by lighting a splint or piece of paper and blowing it out. Oxygen should then re-light the glowing splint.

experiment shows

a) Plants produce oxygen

b) Test for oxygen

If you want to be really clever you can do another one but keep it covered to show the plant needs light to do this trick.

[mimififi]

Jake: Another excellent idea from one of my favourite scientists!

i shall definately do this, I have some plants of this nature in my pond. Just one question, I don't exactly know how you keep the water in the testube upside down over the wrong end of a funnel? I'm being thick I know, I just can't seem to visualise the apparatus.....(this is why I never made it as a scientisi :-(

Thanks again for answering, I'm going to look forward to this unit.

love
mimi
X

[mibn2cweus]

For gas collection illustration click here

[mibn2cweus]

As long as the open end of the test tube is immersed in water it will not drain when tipped upside-down; that alone may require some 'splanin'. As the bubbles rise, they will displace the water inside the test tube.

[mimififi]

cheers Mibn2. I kinda had a memory of water not draining from a vessel if said container is emersed in water also, I just couldn't work out how you would fill the inverted funnel with water to achieve this and then I started thinking that maybe something like the card trick with the coke bottle, a piece of plastic and a cocktail stick might be the way to go and got myself stumped in a huge puddle of hypothesises and thought that maybe I'd just do a history project instead. ;-)

but that diagraom and your advice is very helpful, for which I'm very grateful indeed.

thank you
mimififi

[mimififi]

oh, you guys, I AM SO STUPID, I just looked at the diagram more closely:

I didn't realise the funnel had to be under the water!!!! the oxygenating plants I have in my pond float on the surface so I was thinking the funnel would be over the top of the water, not under it.

Now everything is chrystal clear; including the thought that maybe I should have my own LSA.

sorry guys. feel free to ignore me is you so wish.