| Do you want your kids to love science? If so, | | | | reached the tissue and made it whet. |
| make sure they do science fair projects kids will | | | | The case of the airlock |
| find fun. Kids will not be interested in projects that | | | | After you have completed this, one of our |
| are not very visual and that are not very easy to | | | | science fair projects kids will love to do, you |
| do. They want to see the results in a very short | | | | should be able to answer the following questions: |
| time; I've seen that over and over again with my | | | | 1. What do you do when you seal the opening of |
| little granddaughter Anabel. She loses interest | | | | the bottle with the adhesive clay? |
| very soon if things are moving too slow! | | | | 2. What happens when you pour the water in the |
| So, here is a science fair projects kids will find fun | | | | funnel while the bottle is sealed? |
| and easy. It actually is two experiments that can | | | | 3. Why do you think it happens? |
| be done, first the one and on the next day the | | | | 4. Why doesn't the air escape through the |
| other so it does not take too long. | | | | opening in the funnel? |
| Does air take up space? | | | | 5. Why do you keep the top opening of the |
| The case of the dry tissue paper | | | | straw closed at first? |
| After you have done this experiment you should | | | | 6. What happens when you take away your |
| be able to answer the following questions: | | | | finger after you have inserted the straw in the |
| 1. How does the tissue paper feel after the first | | | | opening of the funnel? |
| part of the experiment? | | | | 7. Why do you think it happens? |
| 2. What do you see when you turn the glass | | | | 8. What does it tell you about the properties of |
| slightly? | | | | the water as well as the air? |
| 3. What causes these bubbles? | | | | What you need for this experiment: |
| 4. What happens to the tissue paper now? | | | | * A funnel with a short stem |
| 5. What do you think stopped the tissue paper | | | | * A bottle with an opening that the funnel fist |
| from getting whet the first time? | | | | snuggly in |
| 6. What was there between the tissue paper and | | | | * Adhesive clay |
| the water? | | | | * A straw |
| 7. Look around, is there air around you? | | | | * A jug |
| Can you see the air? | | | | * Water |
| What you need for your project: | | | | What to do: |
| * One tissue | | | | 1. Place the funnel in the bottle |
| * A glass | | | | 2. Seal the rim of the bottle with adhesive clay |
| * A bowl | | | | making sure it is completely sealed and no air can |
| * Water | | | | escape |
| How to do this experiment: | | | | 3. Put the water in a jug and pour some of it into |
| 1. First you have to crumple the tissue and place | | | | your funnel and observe what happens. |
| it in the bottom of the glass making sure there is | | | | 4. Now you take the straw and while keeping one |
| a relatively big space between the rim of the | | | | end closed with your finger, push it into the funnel. |
| glass and the tissue. | | | | 5. Remove your finger |
| 2. Now you have to turn the glass up side down | | | | 6. Observe what happens now |
| and submerge it in the water making sure you | | | | Conclusion: |
| keep it completely vertical. | | | | The air in the bottle is trapped and prevents the |
| 3. Take the glass out of the water and feel the | | | | water from running into the bottle. No air can |
| tissue. | | | | escape through the water as the water molecules |
| 4. Now do the same, but turn the glass slightly so | | | | in the opening of the funnel because of the |
| the air can escape. | | | | surface tension in the water. (What is this?) When |
| 5. Take it out again and feel the tissue. | | | | you insert the straw in the bottle, you hold one |
| 6. Now and try all the questions on top. | | | | opening closed to prevent the water from the |
| Conclusion: | | | | funnel to go into the straw. When the straw is |
| Air takes up space and it is all around us. The | | | | through the water layer and you remove your |
| tissue stays dry in the first part because the air | | | | finger, the air in the bottle can escape through the |
| between the water and the tissue prevent the | | | | straw and the water starts pouring into the |
| water from reaching it and making it whet. In the | | | | bottle. |
| second part you allowed the air to escape and | | | | These two science fair projects kids will love to |
| water could fill that space left by the escaping air. | | | | do can be turned into a very good science fair |
| The air was not there to form a layer between | | | | project. Pay attention to the scientific method and |
| the water and the tissue any more, so the water | | | | your display. |