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https://www.sciencekiddo.com/rainbow-paper-kid-color-science/
- Bowl of water
- Clear nail polish
- Black card stock or construction paper
Put one drop of clear nail polish into the bowl of water. In the next 10 - 15 seconds, dip a piece of black card stock or construction paper all the way into the bowl of water and pull out.  Let it sit for a minute or until dry. When dry and in the light, you will see unique rainbow designs on each piece.

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Make a Tornado in a Bottle - Fun Science Experiments for Kids

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Learn how to make a tornado in a bottle with this fun science experiment for kids. Using easy to find items such as dish washing liquid, water, glitter and a bottle you can make your own mini tornado that's a lot safer than one you might see on the weather channel.

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https://www.robotshop.com/community/tutorials/show/how-to-make-a-robot-lesson-1-getting-started

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Glass Potato Chips: Let's be honest: Potato chips are boring. Every time I wander the chip aisle of the grocery store, there is some supposedly new twist on the potato chip. Classic. Jalapeno. Terra Blue. Vinegar and salt. Vidalia onion. Ranch. Whatever. Most are a d...

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https://youtu.be/xbwliZJiHe8

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Build a structure out of random materials.

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Build a structure out of random materials.

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Working as engineering teams, students design and create model beam bridges using plastic drinking straws and tape as their construction materials. Their goal is to build the strongest bridge with a truss pattern of their own design, while meeting the design criteria and constraints. They experiment with different geometric shapes and determine how shapes affect the strength of materials. Let the competition begin!
This engineering curriculum meets Next Generation Science Standards (NGSS).

Learning Objectives

After this activity, students should be able to:

Describe and design model truss bridges.

Identify effective geometric shapes used in bridge design.

Identify several factors that engineers consider when design bridges.

Educational Standards
Suggest an alignment not listed above

Materials List
Each group needs:

20 plastic drinking straws (not the bendy type)

scotch tape

scissors

measuring stick or ruler (or one for the class to share)

For the entire class to share:

small paper cup

200-300 pennies (to use as weight)

wooden support structure (or use two desks)

balance (for weighing, or count the pennies instead of weighing)

To make the wooden support structure (see Figure 5; optional; may use two desks instead):

two 7-inch (18-cm) pieces of 2 x 4 wood (for bridge abutments; use scrap 2 x 4s)

7 x 13-inch (18 x 33-cm) piece of .25-inch (.6-cm) thick wood (for water base between abutments)

hammer and nails

(optional) blue paint for the base of the support structure, to represent water under the bridge

Finished dimensions of the wooden support structure (optional; may use two same-height desks instead). Dimensions may vary from those below, but these particular dimensions can be made by using scrap 2 x 4s. The most important dimension is the inside length or span. The total length should allow for enough space to place the bridge on the "abutments."

inside length "span" = 10 inches (25 cm)

total length (span plus two abutments) = 13 inches (33 cm)

abutment height = 3.5 inches (9 cm)

abutment width = 7 inches (18 cm)

Introduction/Motivation

After the Industrial Revolution, bridges became more and more sophisticated as iron and steel became more commonly available. By using iron and steel, engineers could design bridges capable of supporting larger loads and spanning greater distances, making it possible to link cities and communities through shorter, more direct routes and crossing obstacles such as waterways or other natural features that had previously blocked passage. Sometimes we take it for granted that bridges provide important links between places. They enable us to get to resources, conduct commerce, travel and visit other people. The design of bridges is important to the transportation networks we depend upon.

We know there are many different types of bridges. Who can name a type of bridge? (Answers include: Beam, truss, arch, suspension, and cable-stayed.) What makes a bridge a beam bridge? (Review these key points: A beam bridge is usually a simple structure made of horizontal, rigid beams. The beam ends rest on two piers or columns. The beam weight [and any other load] is supported by the columns or piers.) Where on a beam do the forces act? (Review these key points: Compressive forces act on the top portion of the beam and bridge deck, shortening these two elements. Tensile forces act on the bottom portion of the beam, stretching this element.)

Beam bridges are the most common type of bridges, and include truss bridges. Truss bridges distribute forces differently than other beam bridges and are often used for heavy car and railroad traffic. In a truss bridge, the beams are substituted by simple trusses, or triangular units, that use fewer materials and are simple to build.

Truss bridge construction rapidly developed during the Industrial Revolution; they were first made of wood, then of iron and finally of steel. During this time, different truss patterns also made great advances. Many truss systems originated in the mid-1800s are still in use today. The Howe Truss, one of the more popular designs, was patented by William Howe in 1840. His innovation was his use of vertical supports in addition to diagonal supports (see Figure 1). The combination of diagonal and vertical members created impressive strength over long spans; this made the truss design ideal for railroad bridges. Howe's truss was similar to the existing Kingpost truss pattern. However, he used iron for the vertical supports and wood for the diagonal supports. Although iron and wood are not used as much today in modern bridges, the Howe Truss pattern is still widely used. See Figures 2-4 for other truss patterns.

Today, we are going to act as teams of engineers making bridge models. We have been hired by a city to create a bridge to cross one of the local rivers. However, the city does not want the bridge to affect the fish population in the river below it. Engineers always consider the design objective when creating models. Our design objective is to make a bridge that spans the river (scaled down to a distance of 10 inches [25 cm], supports the most weight for the cars that will pass over it, and does not disturb the river's fish. To simulate the load of the cars, our bridge must have a place to securely hold a small cup in the center of the span. To demonstrate environmental limitations on the design, no part of the bridge may touch the "water" (or bottom of the wooden support structure) and the bridge cannot be taped to the wooden support structure. Engineers often have many design constraints or limitations that are part of their job assignments. Today, our design constraints not only include the environmental and weight constraints, but also limited budget and materials using straws and tape as our construction materials.

Vocabulary/Definitions

A mass, as of masonry, receiving the arch, beam, truss, etc., at each end of a bridge.

A long, rigid, horizontal support member of a structure.

beam bridge: A bridge that consists of beams supported by columns (piers, towers).

A long, rigid, vertical (upright) support member of a structure.

compression: A pushing force that tends to shorten objects.

The "top" of the bridge on which we drive or walk.

To form or conceive in the mind. To make drawings, sketches or plans for a work. To design a new product. To design an improved process.

A person who applies her/his understanding of science and mathematics to creating things for the benefit of humanity and our world.

(noun) A representation of something, sometimes on a smaller scale. (verb) To make or construct something to help visualize or learn about something else.

The length of a bridge between two piers.

A pulling or stretching force that tends to lengthen objects.

A structural frame based on the geometric rigidity of the triangle and composed of straight members.

Procedure

Before the Activity

For bridge testing, make a wooden support structure (see Figure 5; optional), or place two desks ~10 inches (25 cm) apart.

Gather materials and make example square and triangle shapes with tape and straws as shown in Figures 6 and 7.

Divide the class into groups of two students each.

With the Students

Discuss truss bridges with students. Ask students to vote by a show of hands to the following question, "Which shape is more stable, triangles or squares?" Tally their responses and write the totals on the classroom board. Explain with visual demonstrations that squares are less stable than triangles. Do this by showing example straw shapes similar to those in Figures 6 and 7. Stand the shapes up on a desk and push down on the top of them. With very little force applied, the open square shape twists, while the square shape composed of inner triangles withstands much more force.

To each team, pass out 20 straws, scotch tape, scissors and a ruler. Remember, you are teams of engineers making model bridges using straws and tape as your construction materials. Think carefully about what your design will look like. The design objective is to make a bridge that spans the river and supports the most weight. Your bridge design must span a distance of 10 inches (25 cm), which means that the bridge must measure longer than that so it can rest on the abutments on each side of the river. Your bridge must have a place to securely hold a small cup in the center of the span. When we test your bridge, pennies will be added to the cup until the bridge collapses. That amount of pennies and its cup will be weighed. Other design constraints to consider are that no part of the bridge may touch the "water" (or bottom of the wooden support structure) and the bridge cannot be taped to the wooden support structure. Also, the materials are limited. While you can cut your straws to any length you want, you will not be given any additional (or replacement) straws even if you accidentally cut them to lengths you don't want. So, think, sketch and measure before you cut. Another point to make: A bundle of straws taped together does not satisfy the "spirit" of this bridge-building activity. However, it is not necessary to have bridges look as if small cars could go over them. If necessary, show students example truss designs (see Figures 1-4) as examples of the approach to take (not to copy).

Give the student teams time to create their bridges. Give students time to brainstorm ideas, draw sketches, and make plans and calculations before doing any cutting and taping with their limited number of straws.

Before strength testing the bridges, ask each team: Predict how much weight you think will make your bridge collapse. Record predictions on the board. Place each bridge on the wooden support structure (see Figure 8). Position a small paper cup on the bridge at the center of the span; do not place the cup at any other location. Gradually fill the cup with pennies until the bridge collapses or the cup falls off (see Figure 9). Weigh the cup and the pennies on the balance. Make a note of this weight, and record it on the board next to its prediction. Repeat to test all bridges. Note, it may be helpful to add a lot of pennies quickly at first until it appears that the bridge is beginning to fail. At that point, add fewer pennies at a time, more carefully and slowly. The winning bridge design is the one that supports the most weight, while meeting the design criteria and constraints.

Conclude by leading a class discussion of the bridge strength testing results. How would they improve their bridge design? Have students from each engineering team describe what they would do to make their bridges stronger.

Safety Issues

Remind students of scissor safety rules.

Troubleshooting Tips

Use plastic straws that are not the flexible or "bendy neck" type. If only flexible type straws are available, cut off the straw ends that contain the flexible sections. Since this reduces the straw length, give students 25 straws per group.

Using a balance to calculate the weight of the pennies in the cup is a quick method to determine how much weight each straw bridge held before it collapsed. If a balance is not available, count the number of pennies for weight comparison.

If rulers are not available, measure the span by marking its width on another piece of paper as a handy reference. Or, explain how students can obtain simple measurements using full sheets of copy paper (8 ½ x 11 inches). For example, with a 10-inch span, it would be desirable to make the bridge about 11 inches or equal to the longer dimension of the paper.

Assessment

Pre-Activity Assessment

Voting & Demo: Ask students to vote by a show of hands their opinions to the following question. Tally the votes and write the totals on the classroom board.

Which shape is more stable: triangles or squares? (Explain with visual demonstrations that squares are less stable than triangles. Stand some example tape and straw shapes [Figures 6 and 7] on a desk and push down on the top of them. With very little force applied, the empty square shape twists, while the square shape composed of inner triangles withstands much more force.)

Activity Embedded Assessment

Prediction: Before testing, ask teams to predict how much weight will collapse their bridges. Record predictions on the board.

Post-Activity Assessment

Re-Engineering: Ask students how they might improve their bridge designs, and have them sketch or test their ideas.

Activity Extensions

Ask students if they know about the engineering design process. It is the design, build and test loop used by engineers around the world. The steps of the design process include: 1) define the problem, 2) come up with ideas (brainstorming), 3) select the most promising design, 4) communicate the design, 5) create and test the design, and 6) evaluate and revise the design. Have students reflect upon the bridge-making activity and list what they did for each step of the design process.

Truss patterns are used for more than bridge design. Ask students to note all the real-world applications in which they see truss systems used during one week. Possible examples: the structural members found in roofs (look up into your garage or basement), floors, ceilings and construction of other structures, plus ramps, radio towers, crane arms, and components of other types of bridges. Even a geodesic dome is considered a truss in the shape of a sphere. Can you see triangle geometry in the shape of a bicycle frame? Have students report back to class to share their findings.

Activity Scaling

For lower grades, as students design and build straw bridges to span 10 inches (25 cm), permit them to place intermediate supports in the "water."

For higher grades, have students design and build straw bridges to span a distance of 20 inches (50 cm) using the same amount of material and no intermediate supports in the "water."

References

Dictionary.com. Lexico Publishing Group, LLC. Accessed March 21, 2007. (Source of some vocabulary definitions, with some adaptation) http://www.dictionary.com

Contributors Jonathan S. Goode; Joe Friedrichsen; Natalie Mach; Chris Valenti; Denali Lander; Denise W. Carlson; Malinda Schaefer Zarske

Copyright © 2006 by Regents of the University of Colorado

Supporting Program Integrated Teaching and Learning Program, College of Engineering, University of Colorado Boulder

Acknowledgements

This digital library content was developed by the Integrated Teaching and Learning Program under National Science Foundation grant no. 0338326. However, these contents do not necessarily represent the policies of the National Science Foundation, and you should not assume endorsement by the federal government.

Last modified: August 15, 2017

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Working as engineering teams, students design and create model beam bridges using plastic drinking straws and tape as their construction materials. Their goal is to build the strongest bridge with a truss pattern of their own design, while meeting the design criteria and constraints.

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Build a flower that can open to communicate with pollinating insects and birds.
Science and Engineering

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Build a box that only you know how to open and is safe from hackers.
Engi

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Today we are getting a bit artsy with our science! Does the idea of making a wire sculpture that "dances" entice you......? Tiny Dancers is the third project in our collaborative series STEAM POWER: Empowering kids to explore the world through creative projects. Today's topic is HARNESS!

Because harnessing refers to making use of resources to produce energy we decided to try making a homopolar motor. A homopolar motor is probably the simplest DIY motor you can make. You need just a few easy to obtain items and it's FAIRLY simple to construct. Homopolar motors are not useful motors in anything but science experiments but they do demonstrate some interesting concepts and are fun to watch! They are also a great introduction to electricity and electromagnetism.

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Make motors that dance! Fun science fair project idea! Click To Tweet
Neodymium magnets are extremely strong and MUST BE KEPT OUT OF REACH OF SMALL CHILDREN! Do not give them to any child who might put them in their mouth, they are dangerous if swallowed and must be surgically removed! This is a project for older children who can understand the precautions and I recommend ADULT SUPERVISION! For more about neodymium magnets safety and precautions go here Also please note that these motors do heat up. See our TIPS section for safety precautions. Additionally neodymium magnets can interfere with electronic devices so please keep them away from phones!
SAFETY NOTE:

Note: Before we get started I want you to know that despite this looking very easy there is a fair amount of TWEAK TIME you will need to invest to make this project work! I recommend starting with a BASIC HOMOPOLAR MTOR to get the hang of how the motor actually works, then trying your hand at making a tiny dancer. Each dancer will need to be tweaked to get them to dance properly on a battery. Don't be discouraged if at first it doesn't work, keep tweaking and see our tips sections for some troubleshooting solutions.

Materials

Instructions

Steps One Cut a long piece of wire off your spool, I started with about a 10" long piece. Lay it on the template of your choice and bend as shown using 3-in 1 tool or pliers. No need to be perfect HOWEVER try and keep your form as symmetrical as possible.

Step Two To create the base section of wire that wraps the magnets, I recommend bending the end of the wire around the battery. Remove the battery and gently widen the circular wire form with your fingers.

Step Three Place three neodymium magnets on the negative side of your battery.

Step Four Place the motor on top of the battery so that it touches the positive pole. The round section at the bottom of the motor must be low enough to encircle the magnets!

Step Five Let it go. If properly constructed it should start to spin. If it doesn't see our tips below.

Step Six (optional) to make a skirt for your dancer cut a small circle of crepe then cut a slit in the center of the circle. Slide it up onto the dancer and secure in place with a dab of hot glue.

Tips

MONITOR THESE FOR HEAT! Some of the motors that got going really fast heated up quite quickly. If you notice a battery getting usually warm stop the project, let it cool down and remove the magnets. I recommend against reusing a battery that got overheated. Instead replace it with a fresh battery. One educator warned me about a defective battery that peeled open during this experiment. Please monitor the motors closely as they spin.

Start with your basic homopolar motor. It's easy to bend and shape and you should have success with it. The dancers require more time to fine tune.

Keep the forms as symmetrical as possible! Since they spin on an axis if the are not symmetrical and/or balanced they will spin off the battery! This happened to us all.the.time. If they do spin off try and bend the form slightly to get them balanced on the battery.

To make the head of the dancer, bend your wire around a pencil.

Thin wire does not work! We tried this with very thin copper wire at first and it did not work. Stick to heavier gauges. Here is the gauge we used.

The templates are meant as GUIDES ONLY! The motors will need to be fine tuned by hand by you!

Remove the magnets immediately after running your motor. They will drain your motor if kept attached.

When the electrical circuit is completed you will hear a very low buzz.

Troubleshooting

If the motor does not work try turning your magnets upside down and reversing the polarity. I found this did the trick most of the time.

The batteries burn out quickly! If turning the magnets upside down doesn't work, try replacing your battery with a new one.

Make sure that the bottom section of wire encircles the magnets. If it doesn't your motor will not work.

Be sure your wire is free to move around the battery and magnets. If it's too close to the battery or magnet it will get stuck and be motionless.

I read that you can use a nail to put a small indentation in the top of your battery to help keep the motor in place. I highly recommend AGAINST doing this. I tried it! One small and light dent worked and the next dent smashed a hole in the battery causing battery acid to spin on my counter! Eek! I decided off balance motors were better than battery acid splashes.

What's happening?

I'm going to keep this as simple as possible because let's face it, electromagnetism is hard to explain! Basically homopolar motors demonstrate something called a Lorentz Force. This is a force that is generated when electricity moves through a magnetic field. Our copper wire is conducting electricity from one end of the battery to the other. As it moves through the magnets on the negative side of the battery, it creates a force which causes the wire to spin.

You can read more about the Lorentz force and homopolar motors here and here.

Looks Like

Hendrik Lorentz. Hendrik Lorentz was a Nobel Prize winning Dutch physicist who inspired Albert Einstein! The Lorentz Force is named after him though he was not the first to discover its existence. In his early years Lorentz was primarily interested in studying electromagnetism and light. Albert Einstein used Lorentz's paper " On the Electrodynamics of Moving Bodies " as the basis of his own work and the theory of special relativity. It's super complex stuff but suffice it to say Lorentz 's studies of electromagnetism laid the groundwork for some of the most important scientific discoveries of the last century.
Simple Circuit - What Do We Do All Day Rubber Band Car - All for the Boys Lego Inspired Electric Dough - Lemon Lime Adventures Design Thinking - Meri Cherry Mason Jar Solar Night Lights - Tinkerlab Electromagnetic Train - Frugal Fun For Boys 10 Ways to Play & Learn with Springs - Left Brain Craft Brain
Ready for more projects that harness energy?

My fellow bloggers have done a wide variety of projects you have to check out!
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If you are looking to incorporate more STEAM ideas into your family's creative day check out our STEAM Kids Book

Fill your child's life with more art, design, science, and engineering!

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STEAM Project: Tiny Dancers (A Homopolar Motor)

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Today we are getting a bit artsy with our science! Does the idea of making a wire sculpture that "dances" entice you......? Tiny Dancers is the third project in our collaborative series STEAM POWER: Empowering kids to explore the world through creative projects. Today's topic is HARNESS!

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Confetti Launcher . DESIGN SQUAD GLOBAL | PBS KIDS

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Free hands-on science and engineering projects for families and educators. Build 80+ projects with everyday household materials.

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bake  something using a solar powerd oven 

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bake  something using a solar powerd oven 

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Free hands-on science and engineering projects for families and educators. Build 80+ projects with everyday household materials.

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make or program robots to do stuff for us

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make or program robots to do stuff for us

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we can build random or assigned things so we can build. We can also make it a challenge being timed or how tall or how wide it could be. At least make it fun.

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Make a structure that can change how waves move, and learn how to make things invisible!
Science and Engineering

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Free hands-on science and engineering projects for families and educators. Build 80+ projects with everyday household materials.

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Build something cool. Something that is useful

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make a machine or robot of some type that can do things for us, chemistry rocket and explore and look at cool animals

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make a machine or robot of some type that can do things for us, chemistry rocket and explore and look at cool animals

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make paint from scratch and paint with it  

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make paint from scratch and paint with it  

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make a robot or machine of some type and pro

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make a robot or machine of some type and pro

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make a robot or machine of some type and program it to do cool things

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make a robot or machine of some type and program it to do cool things

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Free hands-on science and engineering projects for families and educators. Build 80+ projects with everyday household materials.

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Which types materials are the best conductors?

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https://www.sciencebuddies.org/science-fair-projects/project-ideas/Elec_p018/electricity-electronics/conductors-insulators-basic-circuit#summary

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https://www.stevespanglerscience.com/lab/experiments/acid-base-rocket/
This is a rocket using a bottle, and we want to make an experiment by changing the amounts of baking soda or vinegar

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Engineering for kids is a passion around here. Our oldest son is always tinkering, taping, creating and maneuvering things to figure them out. One of his absolute favorite things to tinker with is anything that flies. This week we are excited to share this awesome activity to encourage engineering for kids. This simple DIY soda rocket is out of this world.
* This post may contain affiliate links for your convenience. Click here for my full disclosure.
Engineering for Kids | DIY Soda Rockets

Setting up the Experiment

As with almost all of our projects, we use child led practices to create and experiment. This means that I usually don't give the children a set of instructions to try and replicate, but instead ask guiding questions and am there just to support their ideas. For this experiment, we talked a lot about things that fly and researched ways to make items fly. We did a big study of potential and kinetic energy and with force and motion.

After studying these for some time, the boys decided on the following items for their rockets.
Materials:
Styrofoam Cone
Cork Board
Washi Tape
Soda bottles
Rubber Cork (we used a #4)

Vinegar
Baking Soda
Tissue Paper
Creating DIY Soda Rockets
This was probably one of the most exciting parts of the project. I love watching little brains think and problem solve. Without a given set of instructions, the boys needed to design a rocket that would not only look cool, but also could fly!

The first thing they did was trace the water bottle they planned to fit inside the styrofoam cone. With my help, we then cut and dug out a hole to put the bottle in for the end of the project. If you are making these ahead for children, I would suggest doing this step before the children are there.

Next, they decided they needed to cut out a space to put the wings of the rocket. With adult supervision, they used a box cutter to make 3 slots at the bottom of the cone.

The wings were a little trickier. At first they tried making just triangles but learned that they wouldn't sit flat on the ground that way. Using scrap paper, they tested and tried about 3 designs before they came up with the design they ended up with. They used this design to trace and cut out foam board for 3 wings.

Finally, it was time to decorate the rockets. If it were up to me, we definitely would have painted. In fact, I was looking forward to it! However, the boys really wanted to use Duct tape and, honestly, it turned out so cool this way. I love watching little brains work and create!

Conducting the Experiment | Launching the Soda Rockets

Ready for Blast Off!

Finally, the rockets were ready! Each boy had a rocket, and my oldest even had 2 (I told you he loves anything and everything rockets). Aside from it being -10 degrees, we were ready for the perfect launch day.

Once again, I did not tell the boys what they should do for the chemical reaction, but we play and explore fizzing and reactions so much that they are pretty familiar with the cause and effects of many combinations. They tried water and alka-seltzer but nothing happened from them. They decided the bottles were too big and the rockets were too heavy.

So they turned to the classic baking soda and vinegar reactions. They poured vinegar in the rocket, and placed baking soda on 1 square of tissue paper. They wrapped the baking soda in the tissue (so the reaction would be slowed). When everyone was in a safe position, they pushed the tissue into the bottle and corked the bottle. Then, they quickly turned the bottle over and waited for the launch.

When we did this experiment this summer, the rockets blasted to the neighbors yard, so we know it works. However, it was -10 this day and it was extremely hard to work in those temperatures. The rockets definitely "flew" but not a great distance. We can't wait to try this again when it is warmer and we will add in more images and even a fun video. For now, this is all I have 🙂

I am excited to be taking part in a month long series focused on STEAM activities for kids! I am honored to be joining some of my favorite blogs that encourage critical thinking and problem solving in young children. This month all of our projects have the theme of "FLY".
Dancing Balloons
Parachutes
Whirly Twirly Flying Birds Indoor Boomerang Paper airplane
Hot air balloons

Do you have a favorite STEAM Powered Activity? I would love to know! Connect with me on Facebook, Twitter, Google+, Pinterest, Instagram or subscribe by email. I can't wait to hear your ideas.

More Adventures in Engineering

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Engineering for kids is a passion around here. Our oldest son is always tinkering, taping, creating and maneuvering things to figure them out. One of his absolute favorite things to tinker with is anything that flies. This week we are excited to share this awesome activity to encourage engineering for kids.

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https://makezine.com/projects/vinegar-and-baking-soda-rocket/

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Bottle Rockets. Those two simple words turned a boring summer day into one filled with, fun, excitement and learning. I'm not sure if your kids are getting a bit bored this summer, but recently when my boys were complaining I mentioned those two little words and suddenly everything changed! As soon as they heard that there would be rockets, chemistry and explosions (well kind of!), they were very enthusiastic.

Homemade Bottle Rockets
Backyard Science

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What is it about making big epic reactions that makes all kids REALLY love science? We have done bottle rockets so many times during the years. In fact this is one of the very first activities we shared at STEAM Powered Family. I have now updated it with better pictures and video. But even though my kids are teens now, they still LOVE setting off rockets in the backyard!

Check out our Bottle Rockets video!

If you can't see the video of this fun activity in action, ensure you have turned off your adblockers as they also block our video feed. If you are still having issues, please check the STEAM Powered Family YouTube Channel and find the video there. 3, 2, 1... Blast off the fun!

After watching a recent launch from NASA as they sent more astronauts to the International Space Station, my kids turned to me and said it was time to break out the bottle rockets again. So here we go, time for launch!

STEP 1 - Build a Launch Pad

There are a few ways you can build a launch pad. The key engineering components the kids need to address, no matter what materials they use, is that it needs to be stable and just the right size to hold our rocket (an upside-down 2 litre pop bottle) without it slipping through.

We have built rocket launch pads using tinker toys, craft sticks and LEGO. I have to admit using LEGO was a BIG hit. Now the boys are bigger they are using more ingredients to get bigger reactions and, as you can see in this photo, they loved not only launching their rockets but blowing their launch pads to smithereens!

Building the launchpad works on both math skills (measurements and fitting a round thing in a square hole), and engineering (stability and strength in the construction are key).

Creating A Rocket

To do this you will need the following supplies:

An empty, rinsed pop bottle (I believe my American friends call it soda!)
Baking Soda (aka sodium bicarbonate)
Vinegar
Paper towel
A cork (or substitute something like a pool noodle piece, a cork will give more power to your launch!)
Your newly constructed launchpad
A nice big open space

Preparing for Launch

You will want to do this in a fairly open area. Our rockets hit anywhere from 30 to 50 feet in height (as a rough estimate based on the height of our house), and the wind can pick it up and cause it to fly pretty far sideways too.

Take a clean bottle. Feel free to decorate it and make it really look like a rocket.

Set your launchpad in a nice big open area, on nice solid ground.

Fuel Up The Rocket

Place approximately 1 - 2 cups of vinegar in the bottle.

Take a piece of paper towel and cut it to about 4 inches square.

Place about a tablespoon (we used a HEAPING tablespoon... my teens love a BIG blast off!) of baking soda in the centre of the paper towel. Fold up the paper towel so the baking soda is wrapped up inside and it fits snugly inside the mouth of the bottle.

Insert a wine cork into the mouth of the pop bottle, make sure it is in there tightly.

3... 2... 1... BLAST OFF!

You need to move quickly for this next part. Flip the bottle over, place it in the launchpad and move back quickly!

The Science of Bottle Rockets

This is an incredible STEM activity but can easily be turned into a STEAM activity.

With this Bottle Rocket project we learned about:

Engineering, measurements (math) and some physics to create a base that is functional, strong and stable.

Chemical reactions with our all time favourite reaction: baking soda and vinegar (base and acid). We learned about how this particular chemical reaction has one important product: Carbon Dioxide Gas.

Then we learned about physics and how when you trap that gas from the chemical reaction pressure builds up and when finally released it has enough force to cause thrust, therefore launching our rocket "into the clouds!"

More on the chemical reaction

This activity explores the popular baking soda and vinegar reaction, which is a simple acid-base chemical reaction. Vinegar or Acetic Acid has the chemical formula CH3COOH . Baking soda is a base also known as Sodium Bicarbonate and has the chemical formula ‎NaHCO3 . During this reaction the products are sodium acetate ( C2H3NaO2 ). Sodium acetate is made of 1 sodium ion, 2 carbon atoms, 3 hydrogen atoms, and 2 oxygen atoms. The other products are water ( H2O) and carbon dioxide ( CO2 ). Carbon dioxide is the gas that causes the bubbling during the reaction.

Here is the chemical formula of this reaction
C₂H₄O₂ + NaHCO₃ -> NaC₂H₃O₂ + H₂O + CO₂
vinegar + sodium bicarbonate -> sodium acetate + water + carbon dioxide
Clean Up

After you are done setting off your rockets, make sure you rinse everything with lots of water. As we learned in the science, vinegar is an acid. So any vinegar that is not neutralized by the reaction with the sodium bicarbonate (baking soda) needs to be diluted so it doesn't damage anything.

Do this for everything that came in contact with the vinegar. Including all your Lego or Tinker Toys (or whatever you used to engineer your base), plus the area where you set off your reaction.

Safety Note:

My teens are old enough to do this project by themselves, but it is important that there is always adult supervision.

With younger kids I highly recommend they watch and cheer for this project from a safe distance while an adult loads and launches the rockets.

We were often sprayed with vinegar, so ensure all appropriate safety gear and clothing is worn to protect you from any spray.

Don't ever get too close to an armed bottle rocket. Arm it, place it immediately into the launchpad and move away quickly!

Most of all, have fun learning about science in your backyard this summer!

Backyard STEM
This activity was featured in STEAM Kids. Over 50 STEAM projects that will inspire and WOW your kids!

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Bottle Rockets - Engineering & Chemistry Summer Science Fun!

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Bottle Rockets. Those two simple words turned a boring summer day into one filled with, fun, excitement and learning. I'm not sure if your kids are getting a bit bored this summer, but recently when my boys were complaining I mentioned those two little words and suddenly everything changed!

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Turn this into a science experiment by using different quantities of baking soda and vinegar and recording how high your rocket goes!) After pouring in the vinegar, quickly push in the baking soda packet and then push in the cork. Turn the bottle over and wait for it to launch! It can take up to 30 seconds.Apr 14, 2016

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Introduction
Have you ever marveled at how fireworks, toy rockets or real spacecraft can launch into the air? It can be an amazing thing to witness. It is thrilling to see something lift off against Earth's gravity. The strong push required to launch a spacecraft comes from a chemical reaction in its rockets. This means that every time you see a spacecraft launch, you're watching chemistry at work. In this activity you'll get to blast an object into the air using two simple household ingredients: baking soda and vinegar. Investigate how to mix these chemicals to get the best lift off, and then this Independence Day you could give your family a homemade, gravity-defying show!

Background
How does a spacecraft lift off and get into space? The simple answer is that it has rocket engines that propel it. The rockets depend on combustion to provide the thrust the spacecraft needs to overcome the force of gravity and climb into orbit. Combustion is a fast, exothermic chemical reaction between a fuel (for example, jet fuel) and an oxidizer (such as oxygen) in which the fuel burns and heat is produced. Usually the fuel is an organic compound (containing hydrogen and carbon, and sometimes metal and/or other components). During the chemical reaction, new compounds are made. These are referred to as the exhaust. The rockets push the hot exhaust out from the bottom at high pressure and thus the spacecraft is thrust upward.

In this activity instead of using rocket fuel you will use baking soda (sodium bicarbonate) and vinegar (acetic acid) to make a different kind of chemical reaction that can launch a small-scale rocket made from a film canister. The reaction produces water and carbon dioxide (which will appear as bubbles). You'll take advantage of the pressure the carbon dioxide gas makes in the capped film canister to launch your rocket.

Materials
* Plastic film canister with a lid and tight seal. Fuji or Kodak canisters should work.
* Baking soda
* Measuring spoons
* Wax paper or bowl
* Spoon
* Water
* Vinegar
* An open outdoor area at least two meters from buildings. It is ideal to have a hard, flat surface such as a paved patio or driveway.
* Safety goggles
* Rag or paper towel
* Optional: Construction paper, transparent tape, stickers and scissors
* Optional: A helper to watch, a helper to take a video or a video camera with a tripod

Preparation
* If you like, you may decorate your film canister rocket. You could wrap a piece of construction paper around the canister and cut the paper so it just covers the rocket's sides (but does not go above or below the sides). After evenly wrapping the paper on the canister, secure it with some tape. You can add additional flat decorations, like stickers or drawings. Make sure it is still easy to put the lid on.
* Remember, when you launch your film canister rocket be sure to wear eye protection and exercise caution!

Procedure
* Place one teaspoon (tsp.) of baking soda onto the wax paper or bowl. Add one eighth tsp. of water to the baking soda and mix it in well. If you're using wax paper, you can carefully use the wax paper to fold the damp baking soda onto itself to help mix in the water.
* Turn the film canister lid upside down and pack the inside of the depression with the damp baking soda. (Do not put baking soda near the rim where the canister snaps onto the lid.) Pack it tightly. Turn the lid right side up again for a moment. Does the damp baking soda stay in place? If it stays, move on to preparing the vinegar. If it falls out, add a little bit more water to the baking soda and mix it in, but try to add as little water as needed. The baking soda will not need to stay packed into the lid long.
* Add one tsp. of vinegar to the canister at a time, filling it almost to the top. You need to add as much vinegar to the canister as possible-just enough to keep the vinegar and the baking soda from coming into contact when you later snap the lid onto the canister. Depending on the canister, this may be about five tsp. of vinegar. How much vinegar did you use?
* Go outside to an open area at least six feet from buildings. If you want to videotape the reactions, set the video camera so that it has in its viewfinder the spot where you will launch your canister rocket and the equivalent of at least the first story of a building and then start the video. (Alternatively, you may have a helper watch the reactions to help you figure out how high the canisters go.)
* Put on your safety goggles. Stoop down near the ground on a flat, hard spot and quickly snap the lid onto the canister to seal it. Immediately turn the canister over so the lid is on the ground, and quickly move away. Wait for the chemical reaction to occur. How long does it take to happen? When the lid pops off, the rocket should launch. How high does the canister go?
* Tip: If the rocket did not launch, the lid might not have been sealed tightly enough. (If this happens you may simply see many foamy bubbles coming out of the canister.) The rocket may not have launched right for some other apparent reason (such as not sealing the lid fast enough). If it didn't launch right, try preparing and launching the canister rocket again. You may need a little practice to get used to launching the rocket.
* After the launch, carefully rinse the lid and canister with water and then dry them. If your canister is covered by construction paper, make sure it doesn't get too wet.
* Prepare the damp baking soda and vinegar as before but this time use a little more than half the original amount of vinegar. For example, if you used five tsp. of vinegar, this time use three tsp. (Still use one tsp. of baking soda.)
* Again, go outdoors, put your safety goggles on and launch your newly prepared canister rocket. Does it take longer, shorter or about the same amount of time as the first rocket did to launch? Does it go a higher, shorter or about the same distance?
* Lastly, rinse the lid and canister with water, dry them and prepare them as before but this time use one tsp. of vinegar (or around one fifth of the original amount that you used). Put your safety goggles on, go outside and launch the canister rocket. How long does it take to launch compared with the other two launches? How high does the canister go compared with the previous two times?
* If you're unsure of any of your results, you can try repeating them (using the same amount of baking soda and vinegar).
* What amount of vinegar led to the highest launch height? Why do you think this is?
* Extra: You can try varying the amount of vinegar even more and see how this affects the rocket's launch, such as using one, two, then three tsps., etcetera, of vinegar. (You could also repeat the same conditions you tested to see how consistent your results are.) How does changing the amount of vinegar in the canister change how it launches?
* Extra: You could also try changing the amount of baking soda (keeping the same amount of vinegar) and see how this affects the canister's launch. For example, you could try comparing one, three-fourths, one-half and one-quarter tsp. of baking soda. (Adjust and use just enough water for the baking soda to stick to the depression in the lid.) How does changing the amount of baking soda in the lid affect the canister's launch?
* Extra: Add a cone and fins to your rocket (such as out of construction paper) and launch it again using the best conditions you found. How does adding these components affect the canister's launch?

Observations and results
Did the launch using the smallest amount of vinegar result in the highest launch height? Did it also take the most time to launch?

When baking soda and vinegar are mixed together, the reaction produces water and carbon dioxide gas. In the capped film canister, the carbon dioxide gas builds up until the pressure of all of the contained gas causes the canister to pop open. The pressurized carbon dioxide then quickly escapes the canister through the open bottom. This is how the chemical reaction provides the thrust the canister needs to launch. You may have noticed that when the least amount of vinegar was used, it took a little longer to launch than when more vinegar was used. Because there was less vinegar in the canister, there was more space for carbon dioxide gas to fill. It takes longer for more carbon dioxide to be made from the reaction and thereby more is needed to fill this larger space and build up enough pressure to pop the lid open like it did before. Overall, when the least amount of vinegar is used, more carbon dioxide can fill the canister and a higher launch height should be seen (possibly around 15 feet, compared with around six feet when the canister was nearly full of vinegar).

Cleanup
If you launched your rocket on a concrete surface, spray the surface down with some water after you have completed your launches.

More to explore
Rocket Thrust, from the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA)
Combustion, from NASA
Baking Soda and Vinegar Reaction and Demonstrations, from apple-cider-vinegar-benefits.com
Rocketology: Baking Soda + Vinegar = Liftoff!, from Science Buddies

This activity brought to you in partnership with Science Buddies

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Spectacle Science: Exploring Homemade Rockets

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Introduction Have you ever marveled at how fireworks, toy rockets or real spacecraft can launch into the air? It can be an amazing thing to witness. It is thrilling to see something lift off against Earth's gravity. The strong push required to launch a spacecraft comes from a chemical reaction in its rockets.

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Experiments Archived | Science Experiments | Steve Spangler Science

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For more than 25 years Steve Spangler Science has been bringing FUN to science, with these popular items!

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don't know what it's called, but I want to do of those experiments where the foam shoots out of the tube.

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don't know what it's called, but I want to do of those experiments where the foam shoots out of the tube.

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we could make make-up and i believe it would help us realize  different chemicals (safe of course) to see what the effect is.

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we could make make-up and i believe it would help us realize  different chemicals (safe of course) to see what the effect is.

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can we make smores with solar powered ovens?

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can we make smores with solar powered ovens?

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can we make slime

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can we make smores with the solar powered oven?

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can we make smores with the solar powered oven?