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Mad Science at Home

"This episode was all about fun science experiments that kids can do at home. And since we always have snacks on the brain, we tried three different experiments using food you can find at your local grocery store. Herman and I had so much fun, and made a huge mess doing it hahahaha! If you’d like to try any of the experiments yourself, here are instructions on how to Suck an Egg into a Bottle, Make a Soda Volcano, or Grow Your Own Rock Candy." - Oscar


**WARNING!** Science may be delicious, but it can also be dangerous. These experiments all require an adult, so ask permission before you begin. SAFETY FIRST!


Be sure to read all of the instructions before you start each experiment so you do everything correctly and in the right order. 

Okay, let’s begin!

Egg in a Bottle


WHAT YOU’LL NEED:


  • A slip of paper

  • A glass bottle - the opening should be slightly smaller than an egg

  • A hard boiled egg 

  • A match

    

Now, to Experiment!


  1. Have an adult help you make some hard boiled eggs. There are lots of recipes online. It’s super easy, and you’ll have snacks for later!

  2. Once cool, peel 1 (one)  hard boiled egg.  

  3. Have an adult use the match to light the slip of paper on fire, and drop it into the glass bottle.

  4. Immediately, place the peeled egg on top of the bottle and watch!



    So what happened? Well, the fire should use all of the oxygen in the bottle, and pull the egg through the bottle opening. Pretty neat huh?! 

Soda Volcano Eruption!

**WARNING!** This experiment is quite messy. To avoid scrubbing soda off of the bathroom ceiling (like Herman and I had to) we recommend doing this experiment outdoors.


WHAT YOU’LL NEED:

  • A bottle of diet cola 

  • A stick of mentos candies 

  • Some string

  • Something to make a hole in the cap of the bottle.



Now, to Experiment!


The Easy way:

  1. Set the bottle of cola on a flat surface

  2. Add a few mentos candies, we recommend starting with 3. (The cola doesn’t have time to dissolve any more than that.) 

  3. Run for COVER!!!! And Watch it explode!

WOAH. That happens really fast, huh? The bubbly soda and the candy coating make a chemical reaction that causes the soda to foam up and explode. SO cool right?!

But WAIT!!!! Let’s try it again, but make it bigger this time! HAHAHA!

The Big Boom:


  1. Take a new bottle of diet cola (Each bottle only reacts one time) and set it on a flat surface.

  2. Make a hole in the center of the screw-on bottle cap big enough for a piece of string to fit through. 

  3. Make a hole through the middle of a few mentos candies. 

  4. Cut a piece of string and tie a knot on one end.

  5. Put the mentos on the piece of string just like beads going on a necklace. 

  6. Put the string through the bottom of the soda cap so the mentos are below and the extra string is sticking out the top. You want the candies to be sitting right under the cap, so really pull all that extra string through.

  7. Put a piece of tape over the string and the bottle cap to hold them in place for a moment. 

  8. Pour out a little of the cola so there is room for the mentos candies hanging below the cap. 

  9. Lower the candies into the top of the bottle, and screw on the cap. 

  10. Holding the string so it doesn’t fall in, remove the tape. 

  11. When you are ready, give a countdown and let go of the string so it falls through the cap and into the soda below. 

  12. RUN FOR COVER!!! And watch it explode. 

WOW! See how high the eruption sprayed this time? The bubbles in the soda react to the candies by foaming up. But, with the cap on this time, all that foam had nowhere to go! And since the foam just keeps building as the candies dissolve, the pressure builds beneath the cap just like magma below the mouth of a volcano. Well, we all know what happens next...


...KABOOM! 


The pressure forces its way through the tiny opening in the cap, just like a geyser spraying up into the sky. 

Congratulations! You just used science to make your own volcano! 

Grow Your Own Rock Candy

Here’s your chance to make a delicious treat you usually find in special stores right in your own home. 


WHAT YOU’LL NEED:

  • 2 cups of water

  • 6 cups of granulated sugar

  • 2 or 3 drops of food coloring (optional)

  • ½ to 1 teaspoon of flavoring extract (we used vanilla, orange, lemon, and lime)

  • lengths of string

  • four jars or cups (make sure they are glass)

  • clothes pins or pencils

Now you’re ready to Experiment!

  1. Begin by cutting lengths of string and attaching them to the clothes pins or pencils. We’ll adjust the length in a moment.

  2. Rest the clothes pins or pencils across the top of the jars/cups with the string dangling down the center. Cut the bottom of each string so that the end hangs about an inch from the bottom of the glass.

  3. Next, have an adult put 2 cups of water in a sauce pan over medium heat and bring it to a boil.  Add sugar 1 cup at a time until it dissolves.  Stir until all the sugar is dissolved then remove from the heat. Let it cool for 20 minutes.

  4. Now one at a time wet each string in the sugary solution, and then roll it in a small pile or dish of granulated sugar. (This gives your rock candy some sugar crystals to attach to and grown on) Set them aside to dry.

  5. When the sugar has cooled for 20 minutes, quickly wash the jars or cups with hot water and then add the sugary solution to the cups. If you want, add food color and flavours to each cup of solution.

  6. Carefully put one sugary string into the center of each cup so that the pencil/clothespin balances across the rim. Feel free to tape the ends of the pencil/clothespin down to make sure it doesn’t move around. 

  7. When all your cups have a string, cover each with some plastic wrap and put them in a cool place to sit where they won’t be disturbed. ***It’s important that you don’t touch or bump the cups while the crystals grow!***

  8. This is the Hard part...now you have to wait. Just wait! And don’t touch them to see if anything happened. Just Wait! Crystals should begin to grow in 2 to 4 hours, but will take 7-10 days to really be finished.

UGH! We know! It’s really hard to be that patient. We waited a whole week for our rock candy to be read!. But let me tell you, it is worth it, and will be super delicious once they’re done. 


When the wait is over, transfer the pencils with your rock candy attached to a couple of clean cups to dry for an hour or two.

Congratulations! You did it! You made rock candy! Now it’s time to eat them!

Isn't this fun! We love having the chance to get messy and experiment with  science right at home.

Now watch Episode 6 - The Experiment to see what happened when we tried all of these, and munch on some rock candy as you do. 

As Herman likes to say, “Science is Delicious!”

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