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Emma from Science Sparks is here to answer the question: What is STEM learning? Read more!
Emma is a busy mum to three even busier children. She is passionate about the importance of science education and making science fun for kids. You can find Emma’s science-based activities and investigations over on Science Sparks, a website bursting with creative and engaging ideas for children of all ages.
Emma has pulled together some fun science experiments that you can do at home to celebrate British Science Week.
I’ve spoken to many parents over the years who find the prospectof science at home to be a little daunting; they worry it’ll be messy, not workor be hard to explain. There’s no doubt that sometimes it can be a little messyand it doesn’t always work, but part of the fun for me is working together withmy children to find out why something didn’t work or how we can improve it.
As this week is British Science Week there’s no better time tohave a go at some science at home. You’ll probably be surprised at how everydaykitchen items can be used for a fun investigation that’ll have both you and thekids asking questions and wanting to try more!
A lava lampis almost mess free and especially good as it can be used over and over again.
Materials
Tall jar orbottle
Vegetable oil
Water
Foodcolouring
Effervescentvitamin tablet
Instructions
Fill the jar or bottle about one quarter full with water.
Fill to almost the top with vegetable oil.
The oil and water will separate into two layers with water atthe bottom and oil at the top. If you shake the bottle to mix them up, theywill separate out again!
Once the oil and water have separated, use a pipette to drop foodcolouring into the oil. This will drop through into the water, which is greatfun to watch.
Drop half an effervescent vitamin tablet into the lava lamp andwatch the bubbles!
Once the bubblesstop add another half tablet to make the lava lamp fizz again.
Whydoes this work?
Theeffervescent vitamin tablet reacts with the water to produce carbon dioxidegas. The bubblesof carbon dioxide carry the coloured water into the oil giving a lavalamp effect.
This activity encourages children to think about why some objectsfloat in water and some sink.
Materials
A selection of different balls – one should sink
Bubble wrap
Tape
A container filled with water
Instructions
Ask the children to sort the balls into those they think will sinkand those they think will float.
Test the balls one at a time.
Take a ball, which sank and wrap in bubble wrap secured with tape.
Test the bubble wrap ball again. It should float! If it doesn’tfloat add more bubble wrap until it does.
Whydoes this work?
Although the bubble wrap makes the ballweigh a little more, it also displaces extra water making the ball more buoyant.The pockets of air in the bubble wrap mean that the ball and bubble wraptogether are less dense than the water, which means the ball floats!
This is agreat activity for thinking about how things change over time and fantastic funas it includes chocolate.
Materials
White, darkand milk chocolate buttons
Timer
Pen and paper
Instructions
Place a whitechocolate button in the centre of the experimenter’s hand and start the timer.
Stop thetimer when all the chocolate has melted and record the time.
Repeat with amilk and dark chocolate button.
Try again,but this time the experimenter should close their hand and then try with the chocolatebuttons resting on top of the hand.
Where do theymelt the fastest? Why do you think that is?
Would a sugar-coatedchocolate like an M and M melt faster or more slowly?
If you likethe sound of the ideas above don’t forget to check out ScienceSparks for moresimple and fun science ideas for kids.
Emma is a busy mum to three even busier children. She is passionate about the importance of science education and making science fun for kids. You can find Emma’s science-based activities and investigations over on Science Sparks, a website bursting with creative and engaging ideas for children of all ages.
Emma has pulled together some fun science experiments that you can do at home to celebrate British Science Week.
I’ve spoken to many parents over the years who find the prospectof science at home to be a little daunting; they worry it’ll be messy, not workor be hard to explain. There’s no doubt that sometimes it can be a little messyand it doesn’t always work, but part of the fun for me is working together withmy children to find out why something didn’t work or how we can improve it.
As this week is British Science Week there’s no better time tohave a go at some science at home. You’ll probably be surprised at how everydaykitchen items can be used for a fun investigation that’ll have both you and thekids asking questions and wanting to try more!
A lava lampis almost mess free and especially good as it can be used over and over again.
Materials
Tall jar orbottle
Vegetable oil
Water
Foodcolouring
Effervescentvitamin tablet
Instructions
Fill the jar or bottle about one quarter full with water.
Fill to almost the top with vegetable oil.
The oil and water will separate into two layers with water atthe bottom and oil at the top. If you shake the bottle to mix them up, theywill separate out again!
Once the oil and water have separated, use a pipette to drop foodcolouring into the oil. This will drop through into the water, which is greatfun to watch.
Drop half an effervescent vitamin tablet into the lava lamp andwatch the bubbles!
Once the bubblesstop add another half tablet to make the lava lamp fizz again.
Whydoes this work?
Theeffervescent vitamin tablet reacts with the water to produce carbon dioxidegas. The bubblesof carbon dioxide carry the coloured water into the oil giving a lavalamp effect.
This activity encourages children to think about why some objectsfloat in water and some sink.
Materials
A selection of different balls – one should sink
Bubble wrap
Tape
A container filled with water
Instructions
Ask the children to sort the balls into those they think will sinkand those they think will float.
Test the balls one at a time.
Take a ball, which sank and wrap in bubble wrap secured with tape.
Test the bubble wrap ball again. It should float! If it doesn’tfloat add more bubble wrap until it does.
Whydoes this work?
Although the bubble wrap makes the ballweigh a little more, it also displaces extra water making the ball more buoyant.The pockets of air in the bubble wrap mean that the ball and bubble wraptogether are less dense than the water, which means the ball floats!
This is agreat activity for thinking about how things change over time and fantastic funas it includes chocolate.
Materials
White, darkand milk chocolate buttons
Timer
Pen and paper
Instructions
Place a whitechocolate button in the centre of the experimenter’s hand and start the timer.
Stop thetimer when all the chocolate has melted and record the time.
Repeat with amilk and dark chocolate button.
Try again,but this time the experimenter should close their hand and then try with the chocolatebuttons resting on top of the hand.
Where do theymelt the fastest? Why do you think that is?
Would a sugar-coatedchocolate like an M and M melt faster or more slowly?
If you likethe sound of the ideas above don’t forget to check out ScienceSparks for moresimple and fun science ideas for kids.
The periodic table is one of the most significantachievements in science which captures the essence of chemistry, physics andbiology. On the 20th of December 2017, the United Nations GeneralAssembly proclaimed that 2019 will be the 150th anniversary of the periodictable and has therefore been named the ‘International Year of the PeriodicTable of Chemical Elements’ (IYPT).
IYPT is a celebration of scientists, their members and theircommunities. It’s a way of working with their communities to engage people inthe Royal Society of Chemistry (RSC) and the periodic table. The RSC areholding activities throughout 2019, including public lectures, teacherresources, public outreach, themed journals and books, and grants to fund IYPTactivities and communities.
‘IYPT is anopportunity for us to develop new resources and raise awareness, to inspirepeople of all ages, experience and backgrounds. The Periodic Table of Elementsis a great teaching tool and probably the most recognisable thing in chemistry.’– The Royal Society of Chemistry.
What is thePeriodic Table?
The periodic table is a table of the chemical elements thathave been arranged in order of atomic number, usually in rows, so that elementswith similar atomic structure appear in vertical columns. The periodic table isused as a tool for scientists to understand and predict the properties of allthe elements.
In 1869, Russian scientist Dmitri Mendeleev discovered theperiodic table of elements. At the time, only 63 of the 118 elements had beendiscovered, Mendeleev acknowledged this and left gaps in the table for elementsyet to be discovered.
The elements discovered in the following years confirmedMendeleev’s predictions of the undiscovered elements, revealing the brillianceof the periodic table. 55 elements have been discovered since his discovery,and all were added to the table according to their atomic mass. Mendeleevforesaw properties of some of these elements when attempting to order them, whichexplains why the Periodic Table was so successful and is still used today.
Element 101 was named mendelevium to honour Mendeleev’scontributions to science and the Periodic Table. This is a rare distinction,only 50 scientists have elements named after them.
The History of thePeriodic Table of Chemical Elements
1669 – Germanamateur alchemist Hennig Brand created an object called the ‘Philosopher’sStone’ that supposedly could turn metals into pure gold. Whilst heatingresidues of urine, some liquid dropped out and burst into flames. This was thefirst discovery of phosphorus.
1680 – Phosphorusbecame public after Robert Boyle also discovered it.
1809 – at least47 elements were discovered, and scientists began to see patterns in thecharacteristics.
1863 – EnglishChemist John Newlands divided the 56 discovered elements into 11 groups basedon these characteristics.
1869 – DimitriMendeleev, developed the periodic table.
1886– French physicist Antoine Bequerel first discoveredradioactivity.
- Ernest Rutherford named three types of radiation: alpha, beta and gammarays.
- Marie and Pierre Curie started working on theradiation of uranium and thorium and later discoveredradium and polonium. They also discovered that beta particles were negativelycharged.
1894 – Sir William Ramsay and Lord Rayleigh discoverednoble gases, known on the periodic table as group 0.
1897 – Electrons (small negatively charged particles inan atom) were first discovered by physicist J. J. Thomson.
- John Townsend and Robert Millikan determined their exact charge andmass.
1900 - Bequerel discovered that electrons and betaparticles as identified by the Curies are the same thing.
1903 – Rutherford announced thatradioactivity is caused by the breakdown of atoms.
1911 - Rutherford and German physicist Hans Geiger discovered that electrons orbit the nucleus of an atom.
1913 – It was discovered by Bohr that electrons move around a nucleus in discrete energy called orbitals. Radiation is emitted during movement from one orbital to another.
1914 - Rutherford first identified protons inthe atomic nucleus. He also transmutated a nitrogen atom into an oxygen atomfor the first time.
- English physicist Henry Moseley provided atomic numbers, based on thenumber of electrons in an atom, rather than based on atomic mass.
1932 – Neutrons and isotopes were firstidentified by James Chadwick, completing the basis for the periodic table.
- Cockroft and Walton first split anatom and changed it to two helium nuclei by bombarding lithium in a particleaccelerator.
1945 - Glenn Seaborg identifiedlanthanides and actinides, which are usually placed below the periodic table.
In 2016, there were four undiscovered elements according tothe gaps in the periodic table. The addition of nihonium, moscovium, tennessineand oganesson has classed the table as complete… for now!
Fun Facts aboutthe Elements
If you want to learn more about the periodic table, take alook at the Periodic Table Song!
The periodic table is one of the most significantachievements in science which captures the essence of chemistry, physics andbiology. On the 20th of December 2017, the United Nations GeneralAssembly proclaimed that 2019 will be the 150th anniversary of the periodictable and has therefore been named the ‘International Year of the PeriodicTable of Chemical Elements’ (IYPT).
IYPT is a celebration of scientists, their members and theircommunities. It’s a way of working with their communities to engage people inthe Royal Society of Chemistry (RSC) and the periodic table. The RSC areholding activities throughout 2019, including public lectures, teacherresources, public outreach, themed journals and books, and grants to fund IYPTactivities and communities.
‘IYPT is anopportunity for us to develop new resources and raise awareness, to inspirepeople of all ages, experience and backgrounds. The Periodic Table of Elementsis a great teaching tool and probably the most recognisable thing in chemistry.’– The Royal Society of Chemistry.
What is thePeriodic Table?
The periodic table is a table of the chemical elements thathave been arranged in order of atomic number, usually in rows, so that elementswith similar atomic structure appear in vertical columns. The periodic table isused as a tool for scientists to understand and predict the properties of allthe elements.
In 1869, Russian scientist Dmitri Mendeleev discovered theperiodic table of elements. At the time, only 63 of the 118 elements had beendiscovered, Mendeleev acknowledged this and left gaps in the table for elementsyet to be discovered.
The elements discovered in the following years confirmedMendeleev’s predictions of the undiscovered elements, revealing the brillianceof the periodic table. 55 elements have been discovered since his discovery,and all were added to the table according to their atomic mass. Mendeleevforesaw properties of some of these elements when attempting to order them, whichexplains why the Periodic Table was so successful and is still used today.
Element 101 was named mendelevium to honour Mendeleev’scontributions to science and the Periodic Table. This is a rare distinction,only 50 scientists have elements named after them.
The History of thePeriodic Table of Chemical Elements
1669 – Germanamateur alchemist Hennig Brand created an object called the ‘Philosopher’sStone’ that supposedly could turn metals into pure gold. Whilst heatingresidues of urine, some liquid dropped out and burst into flames. This was thefirst discovery of phosphorus.
1680 – Phosphorusbecame public after Robert Boyle also discovered it.
1809 – at least47 elements were discovered, and scientists began to see patterns in thecharacteristics.
1863 – EnglishChemist John Newlands divided the 56 discovered elements into 11 groups basedon these characteristics.
1869 – DimitriMendeleev, developed the periodic table.
1886– French physicist Antoine Bequerel first discoveredradioactivity.
- Ernest Rutherford named three types of radiation: alpha, beta and gammarays.
- Marie and Pierre Curie started working on theradiation of uranium and thorium and later discoveredradium and polonium. They also discovered that beta particles were negativelycharged.
1894 – Sir William Ramsay and Lord Rayleigh discoverednoble gases, known on the periodic table as group 0.
1897 – Electrons (small negatively charged particles inan atom) were first discovered by physicist J. J. Thomson.
- John Townsend and Robert Millikan determined their exact charge andmass.
1900 - Bequerel discovered that electrons and betaparticles as identified by the Curies are the same thing.
1903 – Rutherford announced thatradioactivity is caused by the breakdown of atoms.
1911 - Rutherford and German physicist Hans Geiger discovered that electrons orbit the nucleus of an atom.
1913 – It was discovered by Bohr that electrons move around a nucleus in discrete energy called orbitals. Radiation is emitted during movement from one orbital to another.
1914 - Rutherford first identified protons inthe atomic nucleus. He also transmutated a nitrogen atom into an oxygen atomfor the first time.
- English physicist Henry Moseley provided atomic numbers, based on thenumber of electrons in an atom, rather than based on atomic mass.
1932 – Neutrons and isotopes were firstidentified by James Chadwick, completing the basis for the periodic table.
- Cockroft and Walton first split anatom and changed it to two helium nuclei by bombarding lithium in a particleaccelerator.
1945 - Glenn Seaborg identifiedlanthanides and actinides, which are usually placed below the periodic table.
In 2016, there were four undiscovered elements according tothe gaps in the periodic table. The addition of nihonium, moscovium, tennessineand oganesson has classed the table as complete… for now!
Fun Facts aboutthe Elements
If you want to learn more about the periodic table, take alook at the Periodic Table Song!
