Making an air pressure powered drinks dispenser is easier than it looks, and a fantastic hands-on air pressure demonstration.

What is air pressure?

Air and its particles are crashing into us all the time. What we call air pressure is the force of these particles hitting a surface.

When you suck a straw you reduce the pressure inside the straw, making the pressure outside the straw acting on the liquid greater than the pressure inside the straw. This pushes the liquid up the straw, allowing you to drink it!

Drinks Dispenser Air Pressure Demonstration

You'll need

Balloon

Peg - optional, but helpful

Plastic bottle - I used a 750ml bottle

Plasticine or putty

Plastic Straw

Water

Small container

How to make an air pressure drinks dispenser

Carefully make a small hole about halfway up the bottle and push the straw through, leaving ⅓ to ½ on the outside.

Fill the bottle about three-quarters full of water.

Blow up the balloon, twist and seal the neck with a peg. Carefully place the end of the balloon on the bottle neck and place a glass under the straw.

When you're ready, remove the peg and watch as the water shoots out of the straw into the glass!

Be careful, as it might shoot out further than you expect.

Why does this happen?

Air presses down equally on the water in the bottle and in the straw when no balloon is present ( or the balloon is pegged ), but when the peg is removed, air from the balloon increases the air pressure in the bottle, pushing down on the water, forcing it through the straw.

More Air Pressure Experiments

Air pressure is a great concept to explore as it causes lots of fun effects.

Demonstrate the Bernoulli Principle with a very simple demonstration using a plastic bottle and a ball of paper.

Suck a boiled egg into a jar without touching it.

Build and launch a bottle rocket!

The post Air Pressure Demonstration - DIY Drinks Dispenser appeared first on Science Experiments for Kids.

Lolly stick or popsicle stick catapults are very easy to make, provide hours of fun and are brilliant engineering and design projects. We made our popsicle stick catapults space-themed and turned table tennis balls into planets. There are so many different catapult designs and themes to choose from; you'll be busy for weeks! Catapults are a brilliant way to learn about energy, gravity and Newton's Laws of Motion.

Popsicle stick catapults are also great for a maths-based activity if children record how far different sizes/weights of balls travel. We've found that small pom poms fly very well as they are light.

Lolly stick catapults are simple to make and use, although young children may need some help. Once you get the hang of them, each one takes only a couple of minutes to create. They're a great kids' activity for a rainy day.

What you need for a Popsicle Stick Catapult

Wide popsicle sticks/ lolly sticks

Elastic bands

Table tennis balls

Other items to test

Double-sided tape

Milk bottle top

Tape measure - optional

How to make a lolly stick catapult

• Start with about seven popsicle sticks and place them on top of each other. Twist an elastic band around each end to hold them in place.

• Place another stick above and one below the stack of 7 so they make a cross shape. You should have more lolly sticks on the end to use for the milk top.

• Tie an elastic band around the middle of the cross.

• Twist another elastic band around the bottom of two sticks, as you can see in the photo.

• Attach a milk bottle top using double sided tape or strong glue.

• Experiment with your table tennis balls.

Popsicle Stick Catapult Investigation Ideas

Remember to only change one variable at a time

Change the design

Try adding extra or fewer sticks to the central part of the catapult.

Make the throwing arm shorter.

Change the item being catapulted

Investigate to find out if a heavier ball travels further.

Make it a challenge!

Set a challenge to find out how far you can make a ball travel!

Add some maths

Create a target with different numbers in different areas and use the lolly stick catapult to fire balls at the target. See who can score the most with a set number of balls.

How Does a Popsicle Stick Catapult Work?

Newton's First Law states that an object stays at rest until a force is applied to the object.

When you pull down on the catapult arm, elastic potential energy is stored. When you release the catapult arm, the potential energy changes to kinetic energy ( energy of motion ), which is transferred to the object, which then flies through the air.

Catapults and conservation of energy

A lolly stick catapult demonstrates energy being converted from one type to another ( potential to kinetic ) and transferred from one object to another ( catapult arm to the ball ).

If you push the catapult arm down further you are storing more elastic potential energy which means more kinetic energy is transferred to the ball when you release it. The further you push the catapult arm down ( which takes more force from you ) the further the ball will travel.

If you want to learn more about Newton's Laws of Motion, try our film canister rocket.

More Catapult Design Ideas

Can you build a giant catapult? We used this one to launch tennis balls over a net.

Another fun STEM challenge is a LEGO catapult. Ours took some engineering and lots of tweaking, but it worked very well!

Create a simple shoe box catapult. Again this is a brilliant easy engineering project for kids with lots of possible variations on the design and theme.

Try some catapult painting like Fun-a-Day.

Frugal Fun for Boys has another catapult design.

How about a snowman popsicle stick catapult? Or a pokemon catapult?

The post How to Make a Lolly or Popsicle Stick Catapult appeared first on Science Experiments for Kids.

Light travels in straight lines through empty space. If it hits an object some of it is reflected back and the rest is absorbed by the object. It is this reflection of light that allows us to see objects around us. The walls, tables and chairs in your room don't emit their own light, you can see them because they reflect light either from the sun or artificial light.

When light hits a transparent object ( a window is a good example of this ) some is absorbed and reflected but most passes through.

How does light travel?

Light comes from a light source. This could be the Sun, a torch, a fire or a candle.

Light travels in straight lines and cannot bend. In the mazes below, we used mirrors to reflect light around corners.

When a light ray hits a mirror, it is reflected off the mirror which changes the direction of the light. The angle of the reflected light is the same as the angle of the incoming light.

If the path of the beam of light changes ( you move the torch or the mirror ) the path of the reflected beam also changes.

How to make a light maze

This activity helps children understand that light travels in straight lines but can be reflected.

What you need to make a light maze

Mirrors

Flashlight

Modelling clay - to hold the mirrors

Card and pens ( optional )

How to make a light maze

Light mazes can be set up as a structured exercise or completely open ended.

I slightly themed our mazes, but that's obviously completely optional.

Light Maze 1 - Light up the road

This one is set up like a road. The idea is to find a way for the grey car to light up the road around both corners.

Two mirrors allow this to work nicely.

You can see here how each mirror reflects the light.

Light Maze 2 - Light up a safe route

This maze uses just one mirror. The idea is for children to find a way to help the toy soldiers see a safe path around the water and crocodile.

You can see in the photo how one mirror does this nicely.

Light Maze 3 - LEGO Light Maze

We used DUPLO for speed, but Lego would work just as well. I used lots of small mirrors to fit in the corners and had to cut some down to size.

Light Maze Extension Task

Try to create a light maze without using the flashlight to test as you go along. Does it work when you turn on the light source?

Can you create a coloured maze using coloured sheets of cellophane?

Facts about light

We can see the moon as it reflects light from the sun.

Some animals make their own light! Fireflies are a good example of this.

You can split light into the colours of the rainbow using a prism.

Light travels at 299,792,458 meters per second.

Light from the sun takes 8 minutes and 20 seconds to reach the Earth

Did you know most animals don't recognise their reflection and often attack it?

More light experiments

Create circuits to light up a model village.

Make a rainbow with a prism

Find out why the sky looks blue.

The post Science Fair Project - Easy Light Maze appeared first on Science Experiments for Kids.

Here at Science Sparks we LOVE a good science fair project but appreciate that not everyone feels the same way, so here are a few amazing ( and easy ) science fair project ideas to give you some inspiration.

Science Fair Top Tips

Let your child choose a science project that interests them, I find my children are much happier to get stuck into a project that they have chosen rather than something I think they should do. Obviously if they choose something too difficult you might have suggest something a little easier. A good starting point is to narrow it down to a selection of five you think would work for both of you and allow the child to make the final decision.

If you have a child who thinks they don't like science and just isn't enthusiastic, try to combine science with something they do love. For example, there are lots of brilliant art and science projects around. Or if you have a child who likes to build things, try one of our engineering projects. Books and stories can be a great source of inspiration too. We've got lots of story themed science activities for inspiration.

Try not to take over. I am terrible for interfering too much, but I'm really trying to take a step back and be the helper rather than the leader.

Messy Science Fair Projects

Slime Investigation Ideas

Why is slime slimy?

Find out why slimy has the properties that make it fun with a slime investigation using our easy slime recipe.

How can I make clear slime?

Make a batch of slime using opaque glue and one with transparent glue and compare the two. Slime made using soluble fibre is another variation you could try.

Can I make slime without glue?

YES! This slime recipe using Guar Gum looks great!

We have three borax and glue free slime recipes you could try too.

What's the science behind slime?

Glue flows because the polymer chains slide over each other. When you make slime with glue and saline solution ( which contains boric acid ) the boric acid in the saline solution reacts with baking soda to form borate ions which form bonds between the polymer chains of the glue. This is called cross linking and is what makes the slime mixture stick together, making it slimy!!

Make a soda dispenser

This AWESOME soda dispenser idea is from from Steve Spangler and uses the good old mento and soda trick where you drop a mento into a bottle of coke and watch it fizz. You could use the activity to investigate how different types of sodas have different levels of reaction, and challenge yourself to see how many cups you can fill.

If you'd rather a less messy DIY drinks dispenser, we have a version that uses air pressure to dispense the drink and can be used over and over again.

Erupt a volcano with baking soda and vinegar

Learn about chemical reactions with a baking soda volcano. Experiment to find the perfect combination of vinegar, baking soda and washing up liquid ( dish soap ) to make the most realistic looking lava. Does thicker lava flow more slowly?

You could make a volcano from papier mache, modroc, sand or snow! Try making different colours, sizes and shapes.

Babble Dabble Do has an amazing lemon volcano that we bet will smell amazing too!

Red Ted Art has a brilliant erupting papier mache volcano too!

Weather Science Fair Projects

Track changes to the weather over a period of time by making a barometer to measure air pressure, a rain gauge to measure rain, a pinecone weather station and other fun weather science activities.

Weather based investigations are great if you have a period of weeks or months to track changes and a perfect for learning to record and display data. We love weather science!

Food Science Fair Projects

Why does fresh pineapple stop jelly setting?

Try some kitchen science and investigate why fresh pineapple stops jelly setting. You might find some other fruits have the same effect...

Edible Life Cycles

Create a series of edible life cycles. This butterfly life cycle is a great example to get you started.

Investigate tooth decay with egg shells

Egg shells are the perfect material for investigating the effect of different substances on teeth. Coffee, vinegar and fizzy drinks are great things to try first.

Density Science Fair Projects

A density jar makes for a wonderfully visual science demonstration. See how many layers you can float on to of each other and try to find an object to float on each layer.

You could even try a little science magic trick. Although this can get messy so be careful.

Osmosis Projects for a Science Fair

Osmosis always sounds like a really tricky subject, but actually it's pretty simple. You can use eggs with no shell to demonstrate easily.

Use eggs to investigate osmosis and diffusion.This simple, low cost activity is great for explaining quite complex processes and very visual as well.

The photo below shows how water has moved into one egg ( with the shell removed ) and out of the other.

Make a Scribble Bot

A Scribble or Art Bot is a fantastic creative science fair project. Try changing the position of the pens and size of spinner to change the effect.

If you didn't quite find what you were looking for, try one of our other easy science experiments for kids

If you're looking for an inexpensive prize for a science fair, how about one of our science books?

The post Awesome Science Fair Projects for Kids appeared first on Science Experiments for Kids.

At the beginning of the summer holidays, we partnered up with the Year of Engineering to share the new Holiday Makers Challenges. There's been a new challenge for each week of the holidays and we've loved seeing lots of parents and kids joining in. My children enjoyed our chain reaction challenge so much they've been making them all summer!

The Year of Engineering is a government initiative aiming to shake-up people’s ideas about engineering, inspiring the next generation of innovators, inventors and problem solvers by showing them what engineers actually do. We can't think of a better way to inspire the next generation than with these fun mini engineering projects.

This week, the challenge is to make a Robot Arm! 

How to make a Robot Arm

We've really enjoyed making Robo Arms over the last few days, we have a spiderman arm a princess arm and a robot themed arm. I love that, as well as being a great engineering challenge, you can also be as creative as you want! They are a little bit fiddly, but the end result is worth persevering for.

You'll need:

Thick cardboard - card from a cardboard box is perfect

Thin cardboard

2 paper straws cut into pieces about 1.5 cm long ( this depends on the size of your fingers )

String

Tape or glue - we used a hot glue gun - ask an adult to help if you use this method

Pencil

Scissors

Ruler

Instructions

Place your hand flat on the cardboard and draw around it.

Carefully cut out the hand shape.

Make 3 bends in each finger and stick a piece of straw in each. We used the top segment of each finger to attach the string, but you could have a segment of straw in the top segment if you'd rather. Maybe try both methods and see which works the best?

Make cardboard rings for each finger using the thin cardboard. You'll also need a cardboard band which fits around the palm of your hand.

Glue or tie one end of the string to each cardboard ring and the other end to the top of the same finger on your cardboard hand.

 Place the band around your wrist and slot the cardboard hand behind. Attach a cardboard ring to each finger and test your Robo Arm.

Robot Arm Challenge

Can you decorate your arm?

We made a princess/fairy arm and a Spider-Man arm!

If you enjoyed this activity, you'll love my full collection of engineering challenges for kids!

Post in collaboration with the Year of Engineering

The post How to make a Robo Arm #TheHolidayMakers appeared first on Science Experiments for Kids.

The lungs are an essential organ for all mammals. Lungs have several features which make them perfect for exchanging gases.

• a very large surface area, thanks to a network of small tubes and tiny air sacs called alveoli.
• they are moist
• and have a good blood supply

Today, we're going to find out how lungs work by making a lung model.

The lungs are part of our breathing system, which has two functions:

• ventilation – the movement of air into and out of the lungs
• gas exchange – gases are exchanged between tiny sacs called alveoli and the blood.

Under the lungs is the diaphragm, a muscular sheet separating the lungs from the abdomen. The diaphragm moves up and down to increase the space in the chest, like the balloon at the bottom of the model.

To make a model lung you'll need

• A plastic bottle
• A straw
• An elastic band
• Scissors
• Two balloons
• Play dough

The bottle acts like the chest cavity, the balloon at the bottom is like the diaphragm and the balloon in the centre is like a lung.

Instructions for making a model lung

1. Carefully cut the bottle roughly in half. Ask an adult to help. Discard the bottom half.

2. Tie a knot in one end of one balloon and cut off the opposite end.

3. Stretch the balloon around the bottom of your plastic bottle.

4. Place a straw in the neck of the other balloon and secure it tightly with the elastic band but not so much that you crush the straw. The air must flow through, so test it with a little blow through the straw to see if the balloon inflates.

5. Put the straw and the balloon into the neck of the bottle and secure them with the play dough to make a seal around the bottle - make sure that again, you don't crush the straw, but air can flow through.

Hold the bottle and pull the knot of the balloon at the bottom. What happens?

You should find that the balloon inside the bottle inflates, and as you let go the balloon deflates.

Why does this happen?

As the knotted balloon is pulled it creates more space inside the bottle. Air then comes down the straw and fills the balloon with air to fill the space! This is like breathing in.

When you let go of the knot the space no longer exists, so the air from the balloon is expelled making it deflate.

Inside the lungs is a network of tubes which allow air to pass through. Air is warmed, moistened and filtered as it travels through the mouth and nasal passages. It then passes through a network of tubes, eventually reaching tiny sacs called alveoli which is where gas exchange occurs.

How do lungs work?

This lung model demonstrates how the lungs work. Air is taken in through the mouth and nose, passes down the windpipe and into the lungs. The diaphragm at the bottom of our chest moves down to create more space. As we breathe out the diaphragm raises again. The knotted balloon represents the diaphragm and the balloon inside the container represents a lung. That's how lungs work!!

More ideas for learning about the lungs

Create a labelled diagram of the gas exchange system.

Use balloons to make a very simple model of the lungs.

More human body science ideas

Create and build a DNA model from candy

Try this super simple heart rate investigation.

Make your own stethoscope with a cardboard tube, tape and a funnel.

If you liked this post, we'd love you to follow us on Facebook, where we post fun science ideas daily!

If you enjoyed this activity, do check out my other easy science investigations for kids of all ages.

The post How Do Lungs Work? Make A Model Lung appeared first on Science Experiments for Kids.

Did you know that there's a huge shortage of young people attracted to engineering jobs and a lack of diversity in the profession with the workforce being 88% male and 92% white?* I remember taking part in a special engineering event many years ago which was trying to encourage more women into the field, so it makes me quite sad that in the last 20 years the situation hasn't changed much.

Engineering is a vast and exciting field that has been around for 1000s of years. This simple chain reaction is a great introduction to engineering and works well for a science club session, a science project or just for fun!

I've created a chain reaction STEM challenge template which you can find at the bottom of the page.

Chain Reaction Challenge

What is a chain reaction?

A chain reaction is a sequence of events where one thing triggers another.

This is also an example of a Rube Goldberg machine.

What is a Rube Goldberg Machine?

Rube Goldberg machines use the principle of a chain reaction to achieve an end goal. The end goal in the case of our chain reaction is the popping of the balloon. Creating a machine like this is a great way for children to learn about cause and effect, conservation of energy and momentum.

Make a Rube Goldberg Machine - Step 1

The force of air from the fan starts off the chain reaction by knocking over dominoes. The first domino collides with the second knocking that over and so on until the ball is pushed down the ramp.

Make a Rube Goldberg Machine - Step 2

The ball is initially stationary until the force of the last dominoes forces it forwards and down the ramp. The downward slope of the ramp means the ball gains momentum as it travels.

Make a Rube Goldberg Machine - Step 3

The ball pushes a wooden car with a needle attached forward. This is an example of conservation of momentum. Momentum from the ball is transferred to the car, forcing it forwards.

Remember only moving objects have momentum.

Make a Rube Goldberg Machine - Step 4

The needle bursts the balloon.

This part was a little tricky to get working. The first car we tried was too heavy for the ball to push forwards and the second was too small.

Experimenting with different objects actually made the process even more fun and the end result very rewarding.

We LOVED creating a chain reaction and can't wait to design and build more.

More Chain Reaction Ideas

Go large! This outdoor huge chain reaction is great fun for the whole family.

Our craft stick chain reaction is fantastic, explosive fun for the whole family.

Or, try my easter egg chain reaction!

Make your own chain reaction

Try my chain reaction STEM challenge template to help plan your chain reaction.

*Statistics correct at date of publication

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