Experiments
Experiments you can try at home, guided by Camp Evans' own mad scientist, Dr. Kronenberg. Make sure to ask your parents for help before doing any of the experiments.

When Things Don't Add Up

What you need: water, rubbing alcohol, two containers to measure liquids

1. Measure out 1/2 cup of water. Make sure to measure very carefully.
2. Measure out 1/2 cup of rubbing alcohol. Make sure to measure very carefully.
3. Pour the rubbing alchohol into the measuring cup with the water.
4. Measure the amount.

There's less than one cup! No, you didn't spill it (well, maybe you did). Water has 'holes' in it because there is space between the molecules. The rubbing alcohol filled in these spaces, leaving you with less than you started with.

A Foam Explosion

What you need: two glasses (or other containers), water, baking soda, white vinegar

1. Make sure to do this experiment outside.
2. Fill a glass halfway with water. Add 2 teaspoons of baking soda. Stir it so it dissolves and becomes clear again. Fill another glass halfway with vinegar
3. Pour the vinegar into the baking soda and water.

Your concoction probably created quite a reaction. This is because a base and an acid were mixed. The base (baking soda) neutralized the acid (vinegar).

Copper Nails and Shiny Pennies

What you need: a jar, vinegar, salt, 20 pennies, an iron nail

1. Pour 1/4 cup vinegar into a jar and add a pinch of salt. Put the pennies into the vinegar.
2. Let the pennies sit in the vinegar while you clean the nail. Make sure to rinse it off really well.
3. Drop the nail into the jar with the pennies and let it sit for 15 minutes.

Your nail is now coated in copper and your pennies are clean and shiny. The acidic vinegar cleaned the pennies and covered the nail with a layer of copper.

A Homemade Camera

What you need: scissors, a pin, white tissue paper, a round oatmeal box, aluminum foil, clear tape, a candle, a dark room

1. Cut the top off of the oatmeal box. Make a hole 1/2 inch across in the center of the other end and cover it with a small piece of aluminum foil. Make a tiny hole in the center of the foil with the pin. Tape tissue paper over the open end of the box.
2. Make sure you have an adult for this part. Light a candle in the dark room and point the pinhole towards the candle.

You can see an upside-down image of the camera on the tissue paper. It's projecting the image of the candle onto the paper just like it would with film.

 

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12/28/2003