• An egg
• Water
• Salt
• 2 plastic glasses

Method:

1. Pour water into one glass
2. Drop an egg into it.  What happens? The egg will sink.
3. Pour water into the other glass
4. Stir in lots of salt
5. Gently lower the egg into this glass.  What happens this time? The egg will float

Salt water is denser than ordinary tap water, therefore it is much easier for the egg to float in the salt water.

The children also investigated how static electricity on a balloon can pick up pieces of paper

Equipment:

Balloon

Small pieces of paper

Woolly jumper

Method:

1. Tear the paper into small pieces
2. Blow up a balloon
3. Rub the balloon on a woolly jumper for a few minutes
4. Place the balloon close to the small pieces of paper and watch carefully what happens….

What is happening?

When you bring the balloon near a little piece of paper, the negative balloon repels the electrons in the paper so part of the paper near the balloon is positive.  Since positive and negative attract, the paper moves toward the balloon.  The negatively charged balloon attracts the paper.

The children also made lava lamps.

Materials:

• A clean plastic bottle
• Vegetable Oil
• Alka Seltzer tablets
• Food Coloring

Instructions:

1. Fill the bottle up about 1/4th (1 quarter) with water.
2. Pour the vegetable oil in the bottle until is almost full.
3. The oil and water will begin to separate.
4. Add a few drops of food coloring. Watch as the color sinks through the oil.
5. Break your fizzy tablet in half and drop part of it into the bottle. What happens…..????

How it Works:

The oil floats on top of the water because it is less dense than water. The food coloring has the same density as the water so it sinks through the oil and mixes with the water. When you add the tablet it sinks to the bottom then starts to dissolve. As it dissolves it makes gas, carbon dioxide. The in turn creates bubbles.  This will continue until the tablet is completely dissolved.  The end- product clearly shows the separation of oil and water.