3 Awesome Experiments For Young Scientists. (Part No 1)

3Awesome Experiments For Young Scientists.
(Part No 1)

Introduction: You've probably come across the abbreviation of STEM a lot at school. It stands for Science, Technology, Engineering, and Math, and schools around the country-and the world-are eager that we all learn more about those subjects. This book looks closely at the "T" of that abbreviation, finding out how it's improving our lives...while somehow carrying a whiff of danger. Here's a pretty standard definition of technology: "science or knowledge put into practical use to solve problems or invent useful tools." Okay, hold up. That's a pretty wide-ranging definition, and it means that the "T" of STEM probably ties in neatly with the "S," "E," and "M." After all, a reusable rocket (see EXP 3) is a pretty cool form of modern technology. But designers must be up to speed with their science to know how that rocket can escape Earth's gravity (going up) and not burn apart in the atmosphere (coming back down). It takes advanced engineering skills to build a rocket to these specifications. And to provide the calculations needed for those specifications? That sure sounds like a job for math!

01. Solar Energy Beam:

You will need:

1. 2 Paint Brushes.
2. 2 Empty Plastic Milk Jugs. (Preferably White)
3. Black Craft Paint.
4. White Craft Paint. (If jugs aren't white)
5. 2 Party Balloons (One Black, One White).
6. Wide windowsill or table near a sunny window.

Method:

1. Use one of the brushes to paint one jug completely black and let it dry.
2. If the other plastic jug is clear or not quite white already, paint it white and let it dry.
3. Take the black balloon and stretch its opening over the mouth of the black-painted jug.
4. Do the same with the white balloon on the white jug.
5. Set the jug's side by side on the window sill or table, making sure it's sunny and that neither jug is at all shaded.
6. Make a prediction about whether either balloon will begin to inflate-and if so, which one.
7. Wait 15 minutes and observe both balloons.

Data Analysis: You'll probably have noticed that the black balloon has begun to inflate. That's because darker colors absorb visible light, and black absorbs the most. Solar panels usually appear dark for this reason. Lighter colors, on the other hand, reflect light. And light is a form of energy, which can transform into heat energy (or into electrical energy if you're beaming it down from space). The extra heat inside the black jug warms the air, which then expands and fills the balloon.

02. Microsatellites:

⭐Want to see what it's like to launch a microsatellite into orbit? Time to make your own launchpad and learn a thing or two about mass (weight) and energy. Does it seem like this is an outdoors experiment? You bet it is. Try to find an assortment of small "satellites" with a different weights-for example, a tennis ball, baseball, Ping-Pong ball, a grape... use your imagination!

You Will Need

1. Scarp Paper.
2. Tape.
3. Piece of wood or plywood (about 4 feet long, 4 to 8 inches wide, and 1inch thick (1.2 m long, 10 to 20 cm wide, and 2.5 cm thick)
4. "Test flight" objects to be launched.
5. Baseball or softball bat.
6. Heavy book ( Like a Dictionary)

Method:

1. Scrunch up a piece of paper and form it into a basic bowl shape. Don't worry about making it neat-it's just going to be a basic holder.
2. Tape your "Bowl" in place at the end of the piece of wood. (it's going to hold the "Satellites" in place before launch.) 
3. lay the bat down away from any window ( On houses or Cars)
4. Find a good target-to match its height, not to hit-like a clothesline, a branch, or even a grown-up (willing to stand still!)
5. Lay the board, bowl side up, across the bat so that the bat marks the halfway point. You've made a basic seesaw.
6. Place a "Satellites" in the paper bowl and adjust the see-saw so that the bowl end is touching the ground.
7. Take the book and hold it over the other end of the see-saw at exact shoulder height.
8. Drop the book onto the seesaw and observe the flight of the satellite.
9. Continue with all your satellites, noting which one flies the highest.

Data Analysis: You've been looking at the relationship between mass (the various "microsatellites") and energy (the force of the book hitting the board). If a given amount of energy lifts a less massive object higher than a more massive one, then you'll need less energy (or less rocket fuel) to reach the same height. So you've seen for yourself how a much smaller rocket can send a microsatellite into orbit. It's cheaper, too: $40,000 compared with $50-$100 million.

3. Reusable Rockets

⚡The first article in this series, The Article of Totally Irresponsible Science, has a great rocket-building experiment. It gives you the chance to be creative-cutting out and decorating fins, forming a nose cone, and sending the rocket sky-high. It's super fun, and anyone who's built one of those rockets can proudly say, "Well, it really is rocket science." But like most real rockets, it takes time and a good deal of effort to make one. This experiment is all about rockets, too, but with some big differences. The journey from drawing board to liftoff is way shorter, and once the rocket comes down, it's nearly ready to be launched again! Did someone mention reusable rockets? Well, you've got one right here. Oh, and this should be pretty obvious: Do this experiment outside!

You will need:

1. Mug (big enough to hold the drink bottle)
2. Effervescent (fizzing) Alka-Seltzer or vitamin tablets.
3. Empty plastic 10 fl. oz. (300 ml) drink bottle with pop-top lid.
4. Water.

Method

1. Put the mug on a table or level space.
2. Break an Alka-Seltzer or vitamin tablet in half so it will fit easily into a bottle.
3. Unscrew the cap and fill the bottle halfway with water.
4. Quickly put the pieces of a tablet into the bottle, screw the lid back on, and press the pop-up bit down.
5. Give the bottle a good shake, then place it upside down in the mug.
6. Stand back-in a few seconds, you'll have liftoff!
7. Prove that it's reusable by repeating Steps 1-6 quickly.

Data Analysis: You've demonstrated some of the real advantages of a reusable rocket. It was easy to build, reliable, and ready to be used right away. Plus, you got an extra science lesson or two. The fuel for the rocket was the rapidly expanding carbon dioxide gas that was produced when the tablet reacted with the water. The pressure from the gas increased until it blew the lid off, propelling the rocket upward. Like any good aerospace engineer, you're also going to make clear observations-and some predictions based on those observations. Did you notice any difference in how far a second or third launch traveled? How about the condition of your "rocket"? Can you detect wear and tear produced by each launch? Any idea of how many more launches you might get before retiring this old rocket?