\Jbbcfhe ~

About th is book
This booK is full o f science activities and
Contents
experiments you can do at home. Each one has
simple s te p -b y -s te p instru ctions showing you 4 Dye, oil and water
what to do, and a straightforw ard explanation 6 Paper planes
o f the science involved.
8 Paper; wood and wcter
E a c h a c t iv it y is T h e se boxes ex p la in t h a t ’s
num bered. going on in e a c h a c t iv it y
10 Foaming f i z z
/ a n d t h e s c ie n c e b e h in d it. 12 Balancing mobiles
14 Testing f riction
16 Optical illusions
18 Melting ice
20 Flying Kites
22 Walking on water
24 Melting
26 How plants grow

W arning symbols show D o n 't W orry i f th in g s

if yon need to ta k e d o n ’t a lw a y s tu rn o u t
ex tra c a re . as y o u e x p e c t — som e
o f t h e m o s t im p o r ta n t
d is c o v e r ie s in scie n ce
T h e a c t iv it i e s use
W e re m a d e by a c c id e n t.
e v e r y d a y item s, Su ch
as p la s tic b o ttle s a n d
c a r d b o a r d boxes. Y o u ’
also n e ed som e e r a f t
item s, S u ch as paper,
pens a n d strin g .
28 Yeast
30 Salt crystals
T h e re a re all kindy 32 Invisible ink
o f a ctiv itie s, 'from
experim enting With 34 Sound experiments
S ta tic e le c t r ic it y to
36 Make recycled paper
m aking invisible ink.
38 Resisting motion
40 A ir pressure
Science safety
Always take extra care with hot or sharp things, and
A 42 Surface tension

never put anything in your mouth unless the instructions

44 Living things and cells
tell you to. If an activity involves doing something you 46 Building shapes
might not usually do, such as pouring boiling water; or 48 Solids, liquids and goo
using a hot oven or a sharp Knife, asK an adult to help you.
50 Fric tio n tric k s

2
 86 Balancing bu tte rflies
88 Moving images
Discos/er V\oW t o
m a k e y o u r oW n
90 Testing acids and bases
52 Making music goo anA $lirne 92 Test your senses
on page HI.
54 Layered liquids 94 Turning power
56 Watching wildlife 96 Reflexes and reactions
58 Magnet experiments 98 Bending light
60 Wind power 100 Floating and sinking C o m p a r e paraz*~

62 Separating inKs 102 Simple machines

d esig n s or. 1

64 Fruit and fruit juices 104 Bouncing light

66 Wind direction
T e s t fo r ac'iAs
68 Leaves and bark using c a b b a g e
W a t e r on p a g e Ί 0 .
70 Loud sounds
72 Light and rainbows
74 Fingerprints
76 Staining and bleaching
78 Making rain
80 Air power 106 Making bubbles
82 Shadow puppets 108 Moving things
84 Food science Le a r n a b o u t 110 Water resistance
W ild life on
p a g e 5G.
112 Catapults
114 Water power
116 Paper helicopters
118 S tatic electricity
120 R ig h t- and left-handed

Usborne Quicklinks 122 Growing crystals

For links to websites where you can

124 How plants drink
find online science activities, go to 126 Parachutes
the Usborne Quicklinks website at 128 Index
www.usborne.com/qulcklinKs and type in
the keywords ‘365 science activities’.
Please read our internet safety guidelines Find o u t U o W t o Aye

at the Usborne Quicklinks website. I e a v e s on p a g e 225.

g c p c r
Dye, oil and water
Find out how some substances mix and others don't, and discover the amazing
e ffe c ts you can create by adding fo o d dye o r water-based ink to oil and water:

l MaKe dye drops Food dye

Pour some vegetable

oil into a tall glass.
Add a few drops of
food dye and watch Drops of Aye or
what happens. ink stay in Q boll
Shape in oil...
V e g e ta b le oil ____

...th en fo rm s p e c ta c u la r
Each dye drop forms a tight bead shape because dye 1V ib to o fw in W a te r — as
yo u can see in a c t iv it y 3 .
does not mix with oil, so the drop can’t spread out.

Th e e f f e c t is m ost

2 Staying in shape im pressive i f yo u use

ink, as shoWn h ere.

Push the drops of

dye gently down
into the oil with
a spoon and see
what happens.

The dye drops sink in the oil because food dye is

denser than oil (see the “Density” box on page 5). The
drops Keep their shape because the liquids don’t mix.

3 Exploding dye drops

Fill a tall glass with water,
add some vegetable oil and
let it settle. Then, add a O il
/
few drops of food dye and
oO The drops of food dye remain in a ball as they sinK through
watch what happens.
the oil. When they touch the water; they start mixing with
N uAge th e Arops With a spoor, to it and form swirling ribbons of colour The dye continues
m a k e th e m fin k m o re quickly.
\
1 to mix with the water until the mixture is an even colour
W a te r

4
 D e n s ity
Everything is made of tiny particles. Density is about how
6 Dye and milk
heavy and how spread out the particles in a substance are. If
I . Pour some milk 2. Dip a cotton bud
two liquids of different densities are mixed, the less dense
into a saucer and add washing-up liquid a":
one floats on the denser one. For example, oil floats on water
some drops of food place it in the midc e
dye or coloured ink. the milk. What hap pi

£ Τ'-

4 Add washing-up liquid

Add some food dye to half a glass of
water. Pour vegetable oil into the glass
and let it settle. Then, pour a few
drops of washing-up liquid into the
Rem o ve the
glass and watch what happens. \>uA w h en t h e mill
anA io o c Aye '
^eep adding Washing-up liquid
y fo mix foae~r-e'
'ro p s to see t h e e f f e c t fo r longer.

O il
(&■
Wa$ln]ng~up liquid

Oil Arops
FooA Aye y
anA W a fe r

Ύΐη'ιζ p a ttern Was

Drops of washing-up liquid sinK to the bottom of the glass, c re a te A With j u s t ___
one c o lo u r o f Aye.
pushing drops of oil down beneath them. But oil is less
sense than washing-up liquid and water; so the oil drops
escape and rise back to float on the surface again.

5 Mix it up
Repeat the last experiment,
uut this time stir everything
up well with a spoon. Notice
what happens this time.

The dye doesn’t mix well with milk. But when wcs'i-z-
up liquid is added, the washing-up liquid is attrccte:
«'cshing-up liquid is attracted to both water and oil, which (
to both the milk and the dye, and allows the~ tc -n
:xws them to mix together The mixture eventually becomes \
together more quickly.
evenly coloured as the dye spreads all the way through it.
Paper planes
Make some paper planes and fin d
8 Aiming up and down
out what makes them fly.
Try aiming your plane slightly up or down as yc.
throw it. How does it fly?

7 MaKe a paper plane

Fo\A along h e re
I . Fold a rectangle
of paper in half,
then open it up.

2. Fold both the

When you throw a paper plane forward, the cir
right-hand corners
flows around its wings and creates lift. If you emerge
into the middle.
the angle you throw the plane, the airflow chcnges,
helping the plane fly further or making it fall to
the ground faster

3. Fold the folded

edges into the
middle, like this.

4. Then, fold the

paper in half. 9 Add a paperclip
Attach a paperclip to the nose of your plane.
Does it change the way the plane glides?

5. Fold the top side back,

like this, to make a wing.
Turn the plane over and
make a wing on the
other side.

The extra weight of the paperclip gives the plane

more forwards force, helping it to fly further
6. Throw the plane.

6
 10 Fold the wing tips 12 Make a glider
-old the tips of your plane’s wings up and throw
:~e plane. Then try pointing them down instead.
Does it fly differently? I . Fold a rectangle of
paper in half, length­
ways and width-ways.
Then, unfold it again.

2. Fold the top part

down, like this.

3. Fold in both
11 Experim ent with steering upper corners so
that they meet in
Point one wing tip up and one wing tip down.
Which way does the plane fly? Now try it the
the middle; V
other way.
4. Fold the top down
again, like this.

5. Turn the plane over

and fold it in half.

6. Fold back both

wings, like this.
The wing tips change the way the air catches the
wings. When the wing tips point up, the plane tilts up.
When they point down, it tilts down. And if one points
This glider has broad wings. The bigger f€
up and one points down, the plane will swoop sideways.
surface area of the wings, the more cir
pushes up on them. This means the
."olding tine le f t Wing tip up and t h e rig h t plane can glide further than
,vir>g tip doWn steers t h e plane left.
the planes from the earlier
activities, whose wings
have a smaller surface
Folding th e rig h t Wing area. Does yours?
tip up and t h e le f t
Do some tests.
Wing tip down steers
t h e plane to tine right.
Paper; wood and water
Try these experiments to see how d iffe re n t types
o f paper soak up water

■J
13 Make a paper flower

V\ \ s
D o n 't c o t th e se t w o sides-

I . Fold a square of 2. Draw a petal shape 3. Fold in each petal, like 4. Watch the p
paper in half. Then, on the square and this. Pour some water slowly oper as
fold it in half again, cut it out. Open the into a bowl and place paper stars :o
like this. flower shape. the flower on the water. absorb the .-.a:

The paper is made of tiny fibres

pressed together As the fibres absorb
(soak up) the waten they expand and
push the flower petals open.

14 Kitchen paper flower

Repeat activity I 3 using kitchen paper to
make your flower.

You cou ld give y o u r

■floWers d iffe r e n t num bers
o f p etals and see i f it
m akes o d iffe re n ce .

Kitchen paper is made of very thin layers c-

paper: It absorbs water so fast that the - c*e:
sinks before it has a chance to open.
 ι/ '
15 Card flower
Try activity I 3 again with a piece of thin card.
How long does the flower take to open?

You c o old t r y -flowers

With d iffe r e n t shaped petals.
Does tine shape a f f e c t t h e tim e
th e ilo W er ta k e s to o p e n ?

Card is thicker than paper because it contains more

fibres. It takes longer than paper to absorb water; sc Ve
flower takes longer to open. The more card there is r ;
petal's shape, the longer it takes for the petals to coer.

16 Glass to glass 17 Make a wooden star

I . Roll up a sheet of I . Bend five wooden

kitchen paper and put cocktail sticks into ‘v’
one end in an empty shapes without breaking
glass. Half-fill another them in two. Arrange
glass with water and them like this on a plate.
tint it with a couple of Add a few drops of
drops of food dye. water to the middle.

2. Place the other end of

2. Watch what
the kitchen paper in the
happens as the
glass of water and leave
cocktail sticks
It for a few hours. What
absorb the water.
-appens to the water?

Th,e kitchen paper absorbs the water until the paper I Cocktail sticks are made of wood fibres, As
is soaked through and the water starts to leak out into j t each stick absorbs water; it expands cr: tx.s'cs
th,e empty glass. If you wait long enough, both glasses ϊ its “arms” apart until they rest against their
will end up with roughly the same amount of water. J neighbour This makes a neat star shcoe.
Foaming f i z z
Find out what bicarbonate o f soda does when you add it to d iffe re n t liquids.

18 Hot water 19 Cold water

Carefully pour some Pour some cold water
just-boiled water into into a bowl, then add
a heatproof bowl. Stir a heaped teaspoon
in a heaped teaspoon of bicarbonate of
of bicarbonate of soda. Watch to see if
soda. What happens? anything happens.

H Bicarbonate of soda fizzes gently when it mixes with hot water because the heat starts a change that gives
i off bubbles of carbon dioxide gas. (This is why baking powder - which contains bicarbonate of soda - is
ϊ used to make cakes. The oven’s heat makes the wet bicarbonate of soda produce carbon dioxide gas, which
1 bubbles up inside the cake mixture and tries to escape, making the mixture rise.) Cold water has no effect

20 Lemon juice or vinegar J 21 Foaming f i z z

I . Put a glass bowl
on top of a tray.
Half-fill the bowl
with lemon juice
or clear vinegar.
2. Sprinkle a heaped
teaspoon of bicarbonate
of soda over the liquid,
then watch what
happens next.
I . Repeat step I of
activity 20, then stir a
good squeeze of washing-
up liquid into the lemon
juice or vinegar.
2. Add a few d^c^s o*
food dye, then s " -·
a heaped teasooc- c*
bicarbonate of sc-ca
the liquid. Wha: ha^pe

Vinegar and lemon juice are acids*. When you mix them Adding washing-up liquid makes the mixture fee- lx
with bicarbonate of soda, the ingredients change very more because it traps the bubbles of gas from the
vigorously. This produces lots of bubbles of carbon reaction. The food dye helps you to see more clear .,
dioxide gas, which makes the mixture froth and fizz. what is happening.

*You can find out m ore about acids on pages 90-91. 10

 22 Funky fro th 23 Fizzin g sherbet
v ake the fizz from activity 2 1 in a few Buy a packet of sherbet and dab some on
c "erent shaped containers to see how your tongue. Can you feel it fizzing?
the foam flows differently out of the tops

° Sherbet usually contains a mixture of bicarbonate of

O soda and citric acid powder When the sherbet gets
\ I^ ( wet in your mouth, the ingredients start to change,
~ f 1Ν ' '' making bubbles of carbon dioxide gas that you can
feel tingling on your tongue.

Try varyin g th e q u an titie s

o f t h e ingredients to see
hoW m u c h fo a m yo u get. j y
Balancing mobiles
Create some d iffe re n t mobiles and discover
how to make them balance.
24 Ruler mobile
Make two different-sized balls from craft clay
or poster putty. Tie a length of string around
each one and hang one from each end of a ruler.
Hang the ruler at its centre. Can you make the
ruler balance by moving just the bigger ball?
25 Make a cross shape
Arrange two sticks in a cross shape and use poster
putty to hold them in place. Tie a length of string
around the middle of the cross, then hang paper
shapes from the sticks. Can you make it balance?
12
A mobile hangs evenly when objects on ecc
side of the hanging point are balanced, To
adjust the balance, move the objects closer
to or further away from the hanging point.
26 Paperclip mobile
Attach some paper shapes to the bottom of
several paperclip chains. Hang the chains from
straws. Use more paperclip chains to hang the
straws and make a mobile. Can you make it all
balance? How many levels can you add?
27 Coat-hanger mobile
Tie some spoons, forks and other kitchen utensils
to a coat hanger and hang it up. Can you adjust
the distance between the strings to make the
hanger level?
 28 Make a twig mobile

I . Draw and cut out four

birds from card. (You can
decorate them if you like.)
Tie a length of string to each.
This Side is hea\jier} so th e
string needs to be clo se r to
t h e hanging point in o rd er
to b a la n c e t h e m obile.

W a k e a h o le w ith
a

2. Tie some string to

the middle of a twig and
hang a bird from each
side. Attach two more
birds to another twig.

3. Hang the twigs from

each side of a third twig,
then hold or hang up
your mobile. Can you
» their distcnce fro-
make it balance?
29 Another branch
Make two more birds and
attach them to another twig.
Add this twig to the mobile.
Can you still make the
mobile balance?
The balance depends cr ~
weight of the cijects
W hanging point.
adjust the bticnce,
moving heavier ccje:
closer tc the hcnci-c :<
and lighter objects - .Τ ι
away from it. Objects :
weigh the sc_e :c :_
at an equal distc'ce srz r
the hcncdna n ci"

13
 -

Testing fric tio n H ole f or rr)Q rbles

„*· to drop th ro u g h
When things rub to g ether you get a fo rc e
called fr ic tio n , which slows them down. You V
can make a marble run to te s t th is e ffe c t.

30 Make a marble run

I . Place a shoebox 2. Extend the lines
on its side, on a piece to make the ramps
of cardboard. Draw slightly longer than
around it three times the shoebox. Cut
to make three ramps. them out.

-- The ram p needs to be r

th e Side t h a t t h e m aro
So i t c a n roil doWn th e ;

3. Cut a corner slightly 4. Carefully cut a hole

bigger than a marble in the top of the box to
off each ramp, like this. drop marbles through.

5. Position the ramps in the box so they slope

from side to side, like this. Adjust the ramps so
they tilt down slightly at the back, too.
" I f you d o n 't h a v e ice - lo lly sticks',
yo u could c u t strips o f c o rru g a te d
c ard b o a rd to use instead.

Use poster putty

to fix ice-lolly sticks
underneath the ramps
to support them.
The slope of the ramps makes the marble roll downhill l ' t_
reaches the bottom. As it rolls, friction is created betwee
6. Drop a marble through the the marble and the ramp, which slows the marbles scee:.
hole and watch it roll down.

14
 31 Smooth foil
"Try wrapping a ramp in a new sheet of
k :" e n foil to make a smooth surface.
-ow does it affect the speed of the marble?
The smooth surfoce of the foil reduces friction
between the romp and the marble. This helps the
marble roll more quicKly.

32 Sandpaper
Glue sandpaper or sand o " c a
ramp to make a rough surface.
The ra m p should t i l t slightly to w a rd s th e
b a c k o f t h e box, so th e m a rb le fa lls doWn
What effect does it have on the
th is h o le to t h e n ex t ramp. marble’s speed?

» V
I ■
I The rough surface increcses i
* friction, making the ncrt.e
1 roll more slowly.
V

33 Ice—lolly sticks
Glue ice-lolly sticks or dry
spaghetti along a ramp to ~axe
an even rougher surface. Wna:
happens to the speed of the
marble now?

A very rough, bumpy

surface increases frictic.-
even more and slows dev. -
the marble further stilL

34 More ideas 35 Time it

~est out the effects of different ramp surfaces Make three smooth ramps, then replace them with th­
jsing materials such as crumpled tissue paper, rough ramps. Time how long it takes for the mar: e :c
crumpled foil, bubble wrap, fabric or giftwrap. reach the bottom each time. How much diffe'-e-ce is :

15
 7

Optical illusions
Try out these optical illusions to learn more about your
eyes and brain, and how they can be tricKed.

36 Darker or lighter? V 37 What do you see?

Which end of this green bar looks darker? A vase... ...or two faces?

Cover everything except the bar. How

does it look now?

1 The bar is all the same shade of green. But when it is Both pictures exist at the same time, but your eyes
I
i next to a lighter green, it looKs darken and when it is can only focus on one at once. When you see the two
J next to a darker green, it looks lighter Your brain judges I blue faces, you can’t properly see the vase; when you
I I
the colour of the bar depending on what is next to it. see the vase, the faces just become a blue background.

38 Which is longer? Both sections are the same

Look at the two sections of line.
Which line seems longer?
Measure each section with a
ruler. Which line is longer?
length, but the section with
extra lines sloping outwards
looks longer; and the section
with inward-sloping lines
looks shorter Your brain
judges things by what is
around them and is tricked
by the extra lines sloping in
different directions.

16
 l /
39 Strange squares
41 Missing shapes
Do these squares have curved sides, or straight
s ces? Use a ruler to check your answer. I . Look at this picture. Can you see a triangle -
the middle?

Ti*e squares have straight sides, but the curved lines

behind the squares tricK your brain into thinking that
the sides of the squares must also be curved.
2. Now look at this picture. Can you see a hear:7

40 Phantom dots v/

Move your eyes over this grid. Can you see dots
oetween the corners of the squares? Now stare
at one dot. What happens?

€
When you move your eyes over this grid, your brain
tries to join up the images by merging parts of the There are no triangle or heart shapes in t^ese
grid together That’s why you start to see ghostly pictures. Your brain sees the edges of where ~'e
dots. When your eyes stop moving and stare at one shapes could go, and imagines the rest.
dot, it disappears.

17
Melting ice
Try these experiments to learn about
how ice melts. 43 See how it works
I . Fill a plastic box with
42 Melting race J water and leave it in the
freezer overnight.
Place three ice cubes
on a plate. Sprinkle
one with sugar, one
with salt and one
with pepper. Which
melts the fastest? 2. Tip the ice onto a big
tray and sprinkle a thin
layer of salt over the top.

You I ia y haMe to W a it fo r
t h e ic e to m e lt a litfrfe to
g e t it o u t o f t h e box.
The temperature at which ice changes to water is
called its melting point. (This is also the temperature
at which water changes into ice, when it is called its 3. Add some drops
freezing point.) Adding things to ice can lower the of ink on top. What
melting point. Salt lowers it the most, so the salty happens to the ink?
ice cube should melt the fastest. Pepper lowers it the
You coulA use fo o d dye
least, so the peppery cube should melt the slowest.
instead o f ink.

Th e m elting p oint Salt lowers the melting point. The ice that the salt
o f ic e is 0 ° C (3 2 °F )
touches melts faster than the rest of the ice,
W h en ice re a c h e s
th is t e m p e ra tu re it
creating cracKs and rivulets. The ink flows into the
ch a n g es to W afer. gaps and helps you see what’s happening.
 Ice in the light
‘v'ake a thin ice block by
pouring a small amount of
•-.a:er into a round plastic box.
S:''nkle the ice with salt and ink
or food dye), then hold it up to
:~e light to see the colours glow.

The inky ic e is th in enough fo r lig h t

to shine th ro u g h it, like staineA glass-

45 Cutting ice
I . Take a piece of
strong nylon thread,
aoout 20cm (8in)
ong and tie it around
:~e middle of two
pencils, like this.

46 Picking up ice
2. Put an ice cube I . Place an ice cube
on a plastic box and on a plate. Dip a
d ace the middle of the
* \ piece of string in
tnread on top. Push water and lay one
v end on top of the
:own on the pencils,
so the thread presses ice cube.
•Irmly on the ice.

3. Watch the thread 2. Sprinkle half a

as you press down. It teaspoon of salt over
should move gradually the ice cube. Count
cown through the ice. to twenty, then lift
See if you can cut the up the string. What
ce cube in two. happens?

The pressure of the thread lowers the melting point. The salt makes the ice start to melt, cr: ~re
This helps the ice melt, allowing the thread to slip down moves down into the ice cube slightly. Bjt ~re ::e
into the ice. The water above the thread is still cold inside is still cold enough to freeze t"e
enough to refreeze, so the ice cube remains in one piece. onto the cube, so you can lift it with the stn-c.

19
Flying kites
Learn how to make kites from plastic o r paper;
and discover what makes them fly.
47 Plastic-bag kite
Tie a long piece of string to the
handles of a thin plastic bag. Hold
the end of the string and run along
The bag’s light weight makes it easy for
the wind to lift the bag into the air
48 Paper-bag kite
Cut the bottom off a paper carrier
bag. Then, cut out some streamers
from tissue paper and tape them
around the bottom.
Tie string to the handles, then
run along, pulling the paper-bag
kite behind you.
The air blows through and around the
bag, creating a force called lift. This
makes the bag flutter up in the air
49 Diamond-shaped kite
p ie ce a b o u t a tin ird
o f fine W ay AoW n·
I . Make two wooden skewers 2. Place the frame on a plast:
into a cross and fix them with bag. Draw a diamond shape
poster putty. Tie some string around the frame and cut it c
around the middle to secure it. Tape the shape to the frame.
fA ak e a h o le
h ere .
3. Turn your kite over. Use 4. Thread the end of a ball of
a sharp pencil to make a string through the hole. Tie it
hole in the plastic where to the frame. Take your kite
the sticks cross. outside and test it.
When wind blows over a kite
and you pull on the string, it
creates a force called lift.
This force makes the
kite rise in the air
T h ere a re some tips
a b o u tily in g kites on
th e opposite page.
20
 How to make y o u r kite fly
To fly a kite, hold the string and run into the wir>; Csc r-e
wind is blowing in your face), pulling the kite be1':'-; y&„ >
ask someone to throw the kite up in the ain while yc. r r .

You need on open a re a w ith

50 Long-tailed Kite a lig h t Wind to fly a kite.

Tape together strips of newspaper

c" tissue paper to make a long paper
mil. Then, tape the tail to the bottom
of the kite from activity 49. Does it
change how the kite flies?

Adding a tail makes the kite fly more

3_cothly. It gives it extra weight and Stri ps o f --- "

-eips balance the kite, so it doesn’t n ew spaper

tap ed to g e th e r
twist and turn as much in the wind.

Try m aking a diam on d k ite as in a c t iv it y

b u t using paper . Kites' c a n be m a d e
o f a n y m a te ria l, as long as i t ’s light} and
strong enough n o tt o t e a r in t h e Wind.
Walking on water
MaKe card bugs th a t stand on water;
and discover how th is worKs.

51 Make a water bug You c a n m a k e

y o u r bug a n y
shape o r size...
I . Fold a piece of thin ...b u t t h e bigger t h e b ug} the
card in half. Then, draw bigger its f e e t neeA to be fo r
^ ■ i t to b a la n c e on t h e Water.
a bug shape with three
legs and feet, like this.
Make sure the top of
the bug touches the
fold in the card.

2. Cut neatly around

D o n 't c u t h ere.
the shape, being careful
not to cut along the
fold. Then, fold out the
bug’s feet so the shape
stands up. 52 B ig -fo o t bug
Repeat activity 51 to make another bug,
but this time with bigger feet. Is it
easier to make it stand on
the water?
3. Fill a dish with water
and gently place the bug
on top, so all its feet
touch the surface at
once. Can you make it
balance on the water?
H a k e sure fine
f e e t s ii" f la t

jgt (tat vta ·*·* “·* **** *"* **** “ * *·*> m **♦ κ .*»»* m
t
The surface of water is liKe a thin, stretchy sKin,
held together by a force called surface tension.
Light objects can balance on this skin - as long as
they don’t break through it. It should be easier to balance the big-footed bug on
water; because bigger feet spread the bug’s weight
more evenly over the water’s surface.

22
 53 Heavy bug 54 Greasy fe e t
Repeat activity 5 I , but this time tape a coin Make another bug and smear butter or
onto each side of the bug’s back. Can you margarine under its feet. Place it on the //ate'
still make the bug stand on the water? Does it work better?

ape a coin
on e a c h side
d /

Grease repels water, which makes it easier for r :

*
The bug with the coins is too heavy, so it breaks I bug to stay on the surface. Many real wcter : _cs
the waters skin and sinks. I have oily feet, too.
I

55 Float a needle
Drop a needle into a bowl
of water and watch it fall to
the bottom. Now dry the
needle, place it on a piece of
tissue and lay it carefully on
the water. What happens?
V/
Press gently on th e tissue 57 Sit or sinK
With a pencil to he\p
i t fink. .
Sprinkle some pepper
over a bowl of water and
watch to see if it floats
or sinks. Then, stir the
water. What happens?

The tissue sinks, leaving the needle on the water’s At first, the pepper sits on the surfcce. StLTl'
surface. The needle is light enough to balance on the water breaks the waters skin, sc the pepcer
the water’s skin, as long as it doesn’t pierce it. then sinks.

56 Soapy water 58 Moving pepper

Repeat activity 55, so Sprinkle some pepper
the needle is lying on the over a bowl of water.
water. Then, add a few Then, add a few drops
drops of washing-up liquid. of washing-up liquid.
What happens this time? What happens?

The washing-up liquid breaks up the water’s skin, The washing-up liquid breaks up the »cters sr:
and the needle sinks. the pepper is pulled to where the skin is sti ”

23

Melting
Try these melting experiments to
tu rn various solids into liquids.
59 Crayon a rt
I . Use PVA glue to stick
a row of wax crayons to
the top of a piece of stiff
white card.
2. Prop up the card against
a wall, with the crayons on
top and plenty of newspaper
behind and underneath.
24
.* v .
Λ fj
HR
Ά v
11
. ■ \ t
\ \
* ··.* V .\ ( [ i
You cou ld e x p erim en t With
lots o f d iffe re n t colo u rs
o f Wax c ra y o n and See i f
d a rk c o lo u rs m e lt fa s te r
th a n lig h t ones.
A
As k an a d u lt to
W a tch y o u h e a t
t h e crayon s. Wax is solid at room
* temperature - around t
20°C (68°F). But like all
I
I solids, when it gets
hot enough, it melts,
turning into liquid. I
I
3. Move a hot hair dryer When it is cool enough,
over the crayons to melt I it becomes solid
the wax down the card. once again.
Leave the wax to cool.
 60 Marshmallows
62 Milk chocolate
. Squeeze a marshmallow
Detween your fingers to I . Place a square of 2. Place a second
•*nd out what it feels like. milk chocolate on a square under a
Squeeze gently at first, plate in the sunshine. bright lamp.
:~en more firmly. Then,
out it on a small plate.
1

2. Put the plate in a warm

□lace, such as on a sunny
windowsill or next to a
J.i!
'■adiator. Wait for a few 3. Put another square of chocolate in your
~iinutes, then squeeze mouth. Which of the three melts the fastest’
:ne marshmallow again. - S T
How does it feel now?
Milk chocolate melts fastest in your mouth, cs
your body temperature heats it up quickly. It
will probably melt slowest under a lamp, -'.ess
Marshmallows are light and fluffy, and melt easily. As
the bulb is very hot.
your marshmallow gets warm, it will start to soften.
If it gets really warm, it will melt and become liquid.

63 Chocolate melting race

61 Black and white p a p ery I . Suck a square of milk 2. Now do the same
chocolate (no chewing) with a square of dar*
1. Put a piece of and time how long it chocolate. Which melts
olack paper and a takes to melt. in the fastest time?
piece of white paper
under a bright lamp.

2. Place an ice cube

on each piece of
paper. Which ice
cube melts first?

^ a c e fine Iomp in
' n e m id d le o f fine
tw o pieces-o f paper.

Milk chocolate has more fa s t-m e ltin g fat r it r c r

The ice cube on the blacK paper should melt first. This dark chocolate. Dark chocolate also cartcir.s -ere : ; ::e
is because black absorbs light and heat from the lamp, powder; which makes it melt mGre slew!,. :~ t
which keeps more heat in the papen helping to melt the chocolate until it melts, so you should teste f e ■
ice more quickly. White, however reflects light and heat. chocolate faster than you taste the dcr'< rocacte

25
Bow plants grow
Most plants s ta r t out as seeds, but th e y need the
rig h t conditions to make them grow. Find out what
makes seeds sprout and grow into stron g , healthy plants.

64 Grow some sprouting beans

Ci Is You car, use a n y

w hole, dried bean?. Stalk

V- .... i J
I . Fold some kitchen
paper and put it in a plastic
sandwich bag. Pour enough
water on the paper to
make it damp all over.
2. Place four beans in the
middle of the bag. They
should stick slightly to the
paper. Seal the bag and
tape it to a piece of card.
3. Prop the card on a sunny
windowsill. Leave it there for a
week, adding water to the bag
every few days to keep the
paper damp. What happens?
Soil

ν'

Beans are a kind of seed. If you give them warmth Shoot

and water; they will begin to sprout into baby plants fie
called seedlings. You should see tiny green shoots
grow up towards the light, and white stringy roots
grow down. But for these seedlings to keep growing
into plants, they also need to be planted in soil.

65 Light and warmth The pot on the windowsill should get

I . Take the bean seedlings from activity plenty of light and warmth. This will
64. Fill two flower pots with compost. help the seedlings to grow, so you
Poke two holes in each, then gently should soon see bigger green shoots.
place a seedling in each hole. The other seedlings won’t
grow much because
they will lack light
2. Place one pot on a sunny and warmth.
windowsill and the other in a cool,
Stand tine pots
dark room. Water both pots every
on saucers-
few days to keep the soil damp.
What can you see after a week?

26
 66 Thirsty seeds
68 Making roots
. Put some cotton
C otto n Wool Seeds'
•vool in two yogurt Carefully cut off the
oots on a warm and bottom of a carrot.
sunny windowsill. Stick four cocktail sticks
Sprinkle some cress around the top. Balance
seeds over each. the sticks on the top of
a glass so the carrot
hangs in the middle.
Fill the glass with
2. Add water to one water. What happens
of the pots to dampen over the next few days?
the cotton wool. Keep
rt damp over the next

week. Leave the other

Dot dry. What happens?

The carrot in the water should sprout extrc v,^:te

thready roots to help it soak up the water

The seeds on the damp

cctton wool will sprout,
Stalk and leaves
but the others will not
because they don’t have
the water they need.

67 Growing shoots
C a rro t
Carefully cut the top off
a carrot. Place it on a
saucer and add water.
T iny t h re a d y
Cover the carrot top roots
with a glass. Replace the
water over the next few
cays. What happens?

Roots help plants to soak up

water The carrot is really a
A fte rw a rd ? , you
root (the root of a carrot cou ld p la n t y o u r
plant) and will soak up the c a r r o t in some soil
and see i f i t keeps'
water helping the stalk to
growing.
grow some new leaves.

27
Yeast
Find out what yeast is and what it can do.

69 MaKe a fro th y mixture 70 Inflate a balloon

I . Mix two teaspoons of
dried yeast with 235ml
(half a pint) of warm
water in a bowl. Add
a teaspoon of sugar.
2. Stir the ingredients
slowly for a minute
or two. Then, let the
mixture stand and
watch what happens.
I . Add two teaspoons
of dried yeast and two
teaspoons of sugar to
half a glass of warm
water. Then, stir it well.
2. Pour the mixture into
a bottle. Stretch a balloor
over the top of the bottle
and leave it in a warm
place. What happens?

You m a y h a v e to W a it
10 m inutes b efo re
seeing a result.

Yeast is a type of living thing known as a fungus. When

The yeast reacts with the warm water and sugar
it is mixed with warm water and sugar yeast feeds on
to give off carbon dioxide gas. The gas expands
the sugar and gives off a gas called carbon dioxide.
to fill up the bottle, then starts to inflate the
Bubbles of this gas form in the liquid, creating a thick
balloon, too.
layer of froth on the surface as they try to escape.

Tip: S tre tc h o u t t h e balloon a

c o u pie o f tim e s b e fo re yo u put
i f o v e r t h e botH e.

The balloon on the bottle

I . Take two plastic
bottles and add one
teaspoon of dried yeast,
one teaspoon of sugar
and half a glass of warm
water to each one.
2. Add two
tablespoons
of flour to one
bottle. Swirl both
bottles around to
mix the contents.
with flour added to the
I mixture inflates more
than the balloon on the
Jc > bottle containing just
warm water yeast and
sugar This happens
3. Place a balloon over
because the yeast feeds
the top of each bottle
on the flour as well as on
and leave the bottles
the sugar which creates
in a warm place for
more gas.
10 minutes. Then,
compare the balloons.

28
 72 Make a loaf o f bread

W ash y o u r hands
b e fo re this
a c tiv ity .

I . Place 250g (9oz) of
plain flour, a pinch of salt
and two teaspoons of
olive oil in a mixing bowl.
Add a bowl of frothy yeast
mixture (see activity 69).
2. Mix all the
ingredients together
with your fingers to
make a dough. Keep
squeezing the dough
until it forms a firm ball.
3. Sprinkle some flour
on a work surface.
Then, stretch, fold
and press the dough
on the floured surface
for 10 minutes.
4. Return the doug-
the bowl and cover
with food wrap. Lei
it in a warm place
for an hour, until the
dough puffs up.

T h e dough should double

in size.

5. Press and fold the 6. Make the dough 7. Leave it in a warm 8. Put your breac
dough on a floured into a loaf shape and place for 30 minutes to into the oven for
surface again, but place it on a greased rise. Heat up the oven 20-25 minutes. or
more gently this time. baking tray. to 230°C (450°F). until golden brow

I f you c u t a slice o f
b aked b read } y o u can Y e a s t is used oil o v e r th e
See tin y h oles in it. World as an in g red ien tT o
The yeast creates These a re m a d e by m a k e dough rise When

bubbles of carbon dioxide t h e bubble? o f carb o n baking bread.

dioxide gas.
gas, which get trapped
inside the dough. This
makes it rise and expand.
In the oven, the high
temperature Kills the
yeast, so the dough stops
rising, sets and hardens,
leaving the holes that
give bread its texture.
Salt crystals 74 Salt and paint mix
Mix a tablespoon of salt with watery paint.
Explore how salt crystals react with water Brush the salty paint over thick paper and
by making p atte rn s in wet paint. for it to dry.

This creates a more even, specKly effect. Yc-;

73 Salt see white residue where the salty paint has tx

I . Brush some
watery paint over a
piece of thick paper.

2. Lightly sprinkle
A A A tine fa It win ile
some salt over the fine p o in t if Wet.
paint. Then, leave
it to dry.

3. When the paint

is completely dry,
75 ThicK paint /
use a dry sponge
to brush off any Brush thick paint on thick paper, and sprinkle
loose salt. salt over it. What happens this time?

<siae «Wat «88»«Η» ®ϋ»«Μ«ΜΙ|||

If the paint is very thick, the salt can’t soak
The salt absorbs some of the water from the paint. Some up as much water and doesn’t dissolve, so the
1
salt also dissolves in the wet paint. When the paint dries, effect is less noticeable.
you can see white star-liKe patterns, called residue, 5KS» <£2?

around the salt crystals. The residue is made of dissolved

salt which was left behind when the paint dried.

30
 76 Large salt crystals 78 Crushed salt
Sprinkle a pinch of coarse salt with large crystals Crush some large
onto a patch of watery paint. How does the salt crystals with a
pattern compare with those from 73, 74 and 75? rolling pin. Then,
sprinkle the pieces
over some wet paint.
Large salt crystals don’t dissolve as easily in the
wet paint. But they leave bigger white patterns
of residue.
When crushed into different sized pieces,
the salt creates a varied effect. You can see
different sized white patches of salt residue.

77 Dip in water 79 Sugar

Pick up a large salt Sprinkle some sugar over wet paint. Let it c'
crystal with tweezers, then brush it off with a dry sponge. Does :
dip it in water, then have a similar effect to salt?
drop it onto a patch
of watery paint. Do Although sugar and salt crystals locK sMJcr
this several times. sugar absorbs more water than salt and "ere c-
it dissolves. When it has dried, it is herder tc
brush off because dissolved sugar sticks iike
The large salt crystals start to dissolve when glue. It also leaves less white residue.
dipped in water More of the salt then dissolves in
the wet paint, leaving larger white residue patterns.

31