What happens when you dump a package of Mentos into a 2-liter bottle filled with Diet Coke? (Hope the bottle is surrounded by a plastic swimming pool.) You guessed it: eruption! In a soda, H2O (water) molecules bond tightly with those of the CO2 (carbon dioxide). When the Mentos dissolves it breaks the water bonds, and the newly released gas erupts into a soda fountain. This is a physical (not chemical) reaction. Each time this project was demo’d, spectators cheered, some students ran away from the spray while others brought up small paper cups to catch a sample drink.
So began the event with a big bang. On June 1st, the Wedgwood Science Night was incredibly vibrant. The cafeteria was full of more than a dozen exhibits, most of them with live demonstrations. One of the projects, an air pump rocket, was demonstrated outdoors. The “rocket” was an inverted, 2-liter soda bottle partially filled with water. Into this “rocket” was pumped air through a copper tube and cork flask, with a rubber grip. When the internal air pressure exceeded that of rubber grip, artificial rain poured onto the throng of excited spectators.
The indoor exhibits represented samplings from a wide spectrum of scientific discipline.
- World of Mummies – a vibrant poster depicting interesting facts/games on mummies, how to spot a real vs fake mummies.
- pH indicator – A red cabbage was ground up in a blender. The student explained how red cabbage is a good indicator of pH because of its sensitivity to the pH of the substance it contacts. Some samples were lemonade, soy milk, antacid. Can you identify the pH of these liquids?
- Volcano - An elaborate 3D volcano construction including real dirt. A chemical reaction between the vinegar/red food coloring and the baking soda creates pretty pink lava. A miniature Mount St. Helens.
- Inductor or Conductor – A clever display with a battery/light bulb sensor, with a material that would either complete or break the circuit. If a conductive material was placed the bulb would light up.
- What Fruit is This Seed? – This was a pretty cute questionnare game from a second-grader. Real seeds from eight different types of fruit were displayed. A player guessed the fruit associated with the seed, then, lifted the flap to reveal the answers. Correct answers were tabulated to deem the participant either “Your fruit is rotten” to “Your future job is a fruitologist”.
Additional posters discussed how to create electricity and the effectiveness of antibacterial cleansers. Other activities involved constructing a paper helicopter. There was also a contest to build a chopper with either the greatest spin or the slowest fall.
The grande finale of the evening was the Egg Drop. Once again the Seattle Fire Department graciously volunteered to partake in this popular event. Against a backdrop of pre-dusk blue skies and post-rain cumulous clouds, a lone firefighter climbed the steep rungs of the fire truck ladder. On his back he carried garbage bags loaded with the contents of the egg drop like Santa Clause. There were about fifty different eggs in those bags. One by one the firefighter dropped an egg that had been impact-shielded in so many diverse ways. The most popular means was bundling up inside boxes, or accompanied by a parachute or balloon. The packages that landed softly met with cheers and applause; while those that landed with a thud were greeted with sympathetic “Awws”. There were some noteworthy entrants: an egg secured inside a colorful straw strut, twirled as it fell from the sky, landing gently on the concrete and to wild applause.
After the last packaged egg was dropped, exhuberant students examined their eggs to check on their survival. A student looked in disgust at his gooey broken egg. Another student handed his robust egg to his parent who remarked, “C’mon, let’s go home and fry the egg.” So ended a successful evening. The students had a swell time. Thanks to Ms. Gallardo and Owen Lawrence for putting on such a fun show. Also, thanks to the Seattle Fire Department for their good-natured participation.
Tags: News & EventsNo Comments
