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Illuminations on Rates of Reactions
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In this activity, learners investigate the speed of chemical reactions with light sticks. Learners discover that reactions can be sped up or slowed down due to temperature changes.
Cool Hot Rod
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If you have access to a copper metal tube, this activity does a great job demonstrating what happens to matter when it's heated or cooled. This activity requires some lab equipment.
Hot Spot
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In this activity, learners explore the invisible infrared radiation from an electric heater.
Glowing Pickle
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In this activity, high voltage is applied across a pickle to emit a yellow glow. This activity should only be conducted by skilled adults and is best suited as a demonstration.
Over the Hill
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In this physics activity, learners construct a small-scale version of a classic carnival game.
Convection Current
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In this activity, learners make their own heat waves in an aquarium.
Pie-Pan Convection
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It's difficult to see convection currents in any liquid that's undergoing a temperature change, but in this Exploratorium Science Snack, you can see the currents with the help of food coloring.
A Mole of Gas
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In this two-part activity, learners use everyday materials to visualize one mole of gas or 22.4 liters of gas. The first activity involves sublimating dry ice in large garbage bag.
Gas Model
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This highly visual model demonstrates the atomic theory of matter which states that a gas is made up of tiny particles of atoms that are in constant motion, smashing into each other.
Cold Metal
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In this activity, learners discover that our hands are not reliable thermometers.
Burn a Peanut
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In this activity, learners burn a peanut, which produces a flame that can be used to boil away water and count the calories contained in the peanut.
Fast Rusting
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In this activity, learners conduct an experiment to find out if steel wool will weigh more or less when it is burned. Learners will explore the effects of oxidation and rusting on the steel wool.
Give and Take
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In this activity, learners explore liquid crystals, light and temperature. Using a postcard made of temperature-sensitive liquid crystal material, learners monitor temperature changes.
Fog Chamber
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In this weather-related activity, learners make a portable cloud in a bottle.
Geyser
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This Exploratorium activity can be used in many contexts because geysers are great opportunities for learning about heat and temperature changes as well as geological/space science phenomena.
Make a Salt Volcano (Lava Lite)
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This activity about density provides instructions for making a miniature "lava lite" with just salt, oil, water, and food coloring.
"Boyle-ing" Water
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In this activity, learners explore Boyle's Law and discover that water will boil at room temperature if its pressure is lowered.
Curie Point
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In this activity best suited as a demonstration, learners observe that when a piece of iron gets too hot, it loses its ability to be magnetized.