Newton's Laws of Motion

Motion, any one who has kids know all about motion.  It seems like they are always in motion.  But what do scientist say motion is? They say motion is a change in position, and you use force to change position.  And what is force? Well, force is something that get's things moving like a push, pull or throw.  But force can also make things stop too, like gravity or friction.

This meeting we did many experiments that demonstrated what each of Newtons 3 laws were.

First, on a piece of paper or a large wipe erase board I wrote out Newton's First Law of Motion.
First Law of Motion- If no force acts on an object at rest it will remain at rest.  If an object is moving, it will continue moving at the same speed and in the same direction if no forces act on it.

Experiment 1-  The Flick

Needed-mugs or heavy cups, playing card, coins

1. I personally gave each child a cup, this needs to be something that will not break easy. Then gave them a card and a coin.  I put extra cards and coins in the middle.
2. Have the children put a card on top of the cup and a coin on top of the card.
3. Show them how to flick the card and see what happens to the coin?  The coin will fall into the cup. Remind them that an object at rest will stay at rest until acted upon.  The coin resist moving, while the card moved because you apply a force.
4. Let the children experiment.  I found that they enjoyed adding several cards and several coins.  They just enjoyed experimenting.
There is a video of this- the flick

Experiment 2

Needed- piece of paper for each child, cup (does not break easily)

1. Give the children a cup and a piece of paper, and have them place the cup on the edge of the paper.
2.  In a quick motion pull the paper out from under the glass.  When they pull the paper the cup should stay put.
Again, the cup resists the movement, the paper moves because it is pulled.

Experiment 3   Friction and Gravity

Needed- Car, smooth surface like table and rough surface (I used a towel)
1. Put a car in the middle of the table and ask them if it is moving? Of course not. It is not moving because there is no FORCE  being applied to it. An object will stay at rest until a force is applied to it.  Ask them how they think they could make it move?
2. Push the car on the smooth surface, like table. Talk to the children about how it  the car glides across the table.  Ask them what they think is going on.  Tell them that there is very little friction slowing the car down. If there were not little bumps in the table that they could not see, the car would go on and on.  Remind them that a object in motion will stay in motion until some force slows it down and this force on the table is friction.
3. Roll the table over a rough surface (carpet or towel) and have them notice how it stops quickly.  That is because friction is slowing the car down.
4. Now throw the car up into the air?  What happens?  The car will move up, but then it moves down.  Ask them why?  It is of course coming down because of gravity.  Gravity is a force.  If you can, let them experiment with it and keep using the word "gravity", especially if your kids are young.
5. Oh another possibility is you can use is have the car slam into something. An arm, body, something.  It will stop because it crashed.

Newtons 2nd Law of Motion is that the amount of force needed to produce a given change in the motion of an object depends on the mass of the object.

Experiment 1
tore up paper or blown up balloon, car, rock (or solid object)
1.  Have the kids blow on paper or blown up balloons and see how very little force it takes to move them.
2. Have them blow on a toy car, and see how much force it takes to move a toy car.  A little more, but it is possible.
3. Have them blow on a solid object like a bigger rock, and your breath will not move it.

f = ma  or force = mass times acceleration. is the equation.  For older kids you could choose to go over this but younger kids it is probably to much.

Experiment 2

1  We moved over to the couch.. I tried to blow and blow on it but it would not move!  I let the other kids blow on the couch but they could not move the couch.  Our blows were just not enough to move the big couch.
2.  Then I had the smallest kid move the couch and the smallest kid could not.  We worked up through the biggest kids until finally someone could move the couch.  In our home it was me.  I was the only one able to provide enough force to move the mass.
3. EXTRA  I had the kids hide in the hall and move some magazines under each foot and asked them again to move the couch!  They just did not think that they could, so I asked the smallest kid to try again and guess what !!!  The smallest kid could.  I asked the kids to investigate why.  Well they saw the magazines and I explained that because the magazines LESSENED the friction, they were able to move the couch!

Newtons 3rd Law of Motion is that for every action there is an equal or apposite reaction.

Experiment 1
string, 2 straw, balloon, tape, ping pong ball (optional experiment) chairs, clothes pin

1. Blow up a balloon and clip it with the clothes line pin and tape it to a straw.  After you tape the balloon to the straw then put the string through the straw.
2. Tie the string to 2 chairs, pull the chairs as far apart as possible and pull the straw to one end of the string.
3. Release the pin and watch the air expel out of the balloon and push it forward.  For every action, the air being released from the balloon, there is a reaction, the balloon pushing forward.
Extra  Now put a ping pong ball on a straw.  Put the balloon/straw and the ping pong ball/ straw in the middle of the string and release the blown up balloon.  As the air from the balloon pushes out and pushing the balloon forward it pushes on the ping pong ball and forces it to move the other way.

Experiment 2
Needed- Springs from pens

1.  I took the springs out of pens, one for each child.
2. have the children try to force down the spring between 2 fingers.  As they are pushing down, can they feel the spring pushing back on their fingers.  For every action, which is pushing down on the spring, there is a reaction, the spring is pushing back.

Experiment 3
ball, smooth surface and skate board
1. Have the children stand on the skateboard and throw a ball.
What happens?  As they throw the ball forward, they are pushed backwards on the skateboard.  For every action, throwing a ball forward, causes a reaction, the skateboard moves you backwards.

Bill Nye has a great video on motion that you could watch

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ynyOm5SkeGE

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Fun With Polymers

Polymers make for really fun hands on  Geeky Moms Science Club meetings.  I can not say that we really focused on a lot of rules of science, but what exciting things that science can make.  “Poly” means many and “mer” mean segments.  Many segments.  It occurs when many segments attach to each other and make chains.  It can occur naturally or processed.  I found that the children really enjoyed the hands on feel of the activities.  This will take some planning and purchasing ahead of time

 Activity 1 Polymer Glue  

 Supplies needed:  milk, vinegar, strainer with paper towel lining, paper to glue

Really a very simple recipe, I have seen more complicated recipes, but this is simple and works.  It is said that the Egyptians used this glue in making furniture.   More complicated glues used to made from boiling animal bones.

1. I recommend that before your meeting you make a batch first, mix a cup of milk with a quarter cup of vinegar and let it sit.  If you do this with the children it will need to sit about 15 minutes to separate.

2.With the group, mix a smaller mixture, just so that they can see it begin to separate.  Have the children smell it. What does it smell like? Does the smell remind them of professional glue.

3. Take a batch and pour it through a strainer lined with paper towels, the paper towels will catch the solids or otherwise they will fall through.

4. Once strained you will have a solid mixture, have them use their fingers and paint it onto a piece of paper  and glue another piece of paper on top.  This can be a bit messy and will need to rinse hands after.

5. Leave out to dry overnight and observe what happens. To send them home you can put them in a plastic sandwich bag with their names on it and instruction to remind them to pull it out to dry.

The papers should be firmly glued together.

Activity 2 SLIME

Elmer's glue (about 4 oz per child), Borax, water, mixing bowls or paper cups, something to mix, food coloring, plastic bags (optional) put newspaper on table for quick cleanup (optional)

Can be done in individual cups, or in a group

I have always used Elmer's liquid glue, I was once told that some glues will not work so I never risked it.  Borax can be found with laundry detergents at the super market.

For Individual cups:

Have each child take about 4 oz of glue and add about 4 oz of water and mix in each child's individual cup, you can add food coloring in now

Add  1 teaspoon of Borax in another dish to 8 oz of water per 2 children warm water and stir until dissolved almost completely.  After it dissolves take borax/water mixture and add to glue/water mixture and stir.  After it begins to form slime take it out and and knead it with hands.  It will form into a fun putty like substance.

I put into baggies with kids names on it, must be kept in air tight container when not being played with.  Children will need to wash their hands.

For Large Batch:

Pour about 8 oz of glue (per 2 to 3 kids) into a bowl, add about 8 oz of water, food coloring and mix.

In another bowl stir in a teaspoon of borax into some water and stir till mostly dissolved.

Mix your borax /water mixture into your glue mixture and stir.  You will begin to see it form into a slime. Take out and need exposing all the pockets of glue to the borax mixture.

Divide into bags for the kids to take home after they have a fun time exploring their slime.

Activity 3 Snow polymer

fine polymer, salt, plates, water

Polymers are used now in many things.  On movie sets a fine mixture of polymer can be used because it can look like snow but not melt in the heat of the lights, it is used in indoor skiing because it is slippery.  It is definately fun to play with.  Plus it is used in diapers to absorb urine and to keep the wetness away.

I liked to give a plate to each pair of children and sprinkle some small polymer flakes.  Give the children some water and let them pour a little on the polymer.  My guys were amazed when it absorbed the water.  I let them play with the mixture for a short time, while I explained the uses.

After they were done we sprinkled some salt on it and they watched and played with it while it turned into a soupy mixture.

Activity 4 Large Polymer Molecules

Large polymer crystal, seeds( large seeds are easiest) water, plastic bag, paper, marker

First I let the children observe the large polymer crystals, I explained to them that some farmers are experimenting with putting these polymers in their soil.  Why? 

Then they each put about a tablespoon of polymer crystals in a plastic bag and about 1/4 cup of water with some seeds.  We observed that the polymers were SLOWLY growing and that they were absorbing the water.

Then we discussed why we think farmers would put it in the soil.  I drew out a picture showing how when it rain sometiems the waterdrains away fast, but if there was polymers in the soil it would help to absorb some of the extra water.

I sent the bags home and let them know that the polymers were going to take a little while to fully expand. I instructed them to tape the bag to a window and watch the plants grow in the polymers.  

My son and I tried this experiment in the fine polymer and they all turned to mush and mildewed.

Activity 5 Oobleck or Goo

Cornstarch, water, bowl

In a bowl mix the cornstarch with water.  Honestly I do this by feel. I just slowly add the water.  With a group of kids I do this in several bowls so that pairs of kids can play with this together.  It is fun to just sit and feel this stuff move through your hands.

Scientifically speaking it is a non-Newtonian fluid, it acts like a liquid and it acts like a solid.  But really kids just love the feel of it.

Tip: If this stuff gets all over do not worry, just let it dry and vacume up.  I have done this so many times as a former preschool teacher that I have never had it ruin anything

Side activity

Take a diaper and pull out the inner parts and put into a large bowl.  Take some water( about 4 cups plus) and add food coloring, then then pour the water mixture into the diaper parts and keep adding water until you get the consistency you enjoy.  Let the kids play with it all they want, even add toys and such.  Bonus, my son had a Star Wars birthday party, so to go with the theme we set out a bowl of this stuff in green and we called it Jabba the Hut slime ;)

I hope that you and your friends can have a great time with Geeky Moms Science Club!  I have done these experiments many times throughout the years and I still get a giggle!   Please join us at Geeky Mom's Science Club on Facebook and be apart of the change

Be the change you want to see in the world!

Atoms and Molecules Meeting 2

Atoms and Molecules Meeting 2

In this Geeky Mom Science Club Meeting, I continue to build on what we learned in Atoms and Molecules session 1.  These meetings are geared for K to 4^th graders and this is a club, so we focus on active experiment based learning, not passive.  I like to start with atoms and molecules because they will help give them the background that they will need for acids and bases, magnets, electricity, static electricity and much more!!!

Activity 1 Review

Paper, pen ect

1.       This is a basic review.  Start by asking them “What is an atom?”  Allow the children to try to recall what one is.   Then you can take paper/marker or a wipe erase board/marker or even give them to each child a start from the beginning trying to lead THEM.    For Example.

           What is in the nucleus?   A proton and neutron.

             What is the charge of a proton? It is positive.  

           What is the charge of the neutron? It is neutral.

               What is in the cloud? An electron and it is negatively charged

2.       Remember 1 is Hydrogen(H) , 2  Helium(He), 3 Lithium (Li), 4 Beryllium (Be), 5 Boron(B)

Try to have a Periodic chart available.

3.       Draw a second set, encouraging the children to use the terminology along the way.  I like the chanting method where you have the children say words 3 times in a row to encourage them to get stuck in their heads!

4.       Finish this through Boron #5

Activity 2 What is a molecule?

Supply list

Perfume, Cups, cotton balls, vaeious smells like vingaer, pepper, vanilla, lemon, peppermint extract, jasmine extract.  Basically as many as you want.

A molecule is when 2 or more atoms join together chemically.  We have been learning about atoms, but these atoms combine and make various molecules or compounds.

1.       How do you know that molecules exist? 

Have the children all close their eyes. Lightly spray a little perfume and wait for the children to react.  What is it that they are smelling? MOLECULES!

2.       There are 100 million of tiny receptor in their little nose that can identify every smell. And every smell is caused by molecules.    Dogs have over 220 million receptors; ask them who is the better smeller? Humans or dogs and why??? 

3.       Pass around the smelling cups and encourage the children to identify what they are smelling.  There are many books about smell that you can get at the library.

Activity 3  Simple changes make a big difference

Supply list – water, hydrogen peroxide, cups

1.       Ask them what they think if they take 1 oxygen, something we breath in every day and add 2 hydrogen to make a molecule? H2o  You have water!  You go from oxygen to water by adding 2 hydrogen!  You can drink that stuff and drink it!

2.       Now what do they think happens if you add another oxygen to H2O?  Do they know what they have???  H2O2  YOU DON’T want to drink that!  You now have hydrogen peroxide!  Show them some h2o2!

3.       Ask them what they are breathing in. Oxygen.  Now breath out, what are they breathing out? CO2, that stuff can replace oxygen and kill you.

4.       Tell them that almost everything is made of Carbon, Oxygen, Nitrogen and Hydrogen.

5.       For the older kids add in everyone’s favorite, sugar.  Sugar is 12 Carbon, 22 Hydrogen, 11 Oxygen.

Activity 4 Make a molecule!

Supply list- gumdrops, tooth picks pictures of basic molescules, plastic bags to go home

1.       Ahead of time draw/print out some basic molecules.  I suggest easier molecules  if the children are younger, and a few complicated for older.

2.       I use gum drops but you can come up with other items like maybe playdough.  I divide them up into a few basic atoms like oxygen, Carbon, Hydrogen. Give  each element  a color.  

3.        Help them make a few different molecules like H2O, CO2, H2O2.  Older children can make a more complicated molecule like sugar.

Activity 5 Mentos and Diet Coke again

This is of course optional.  We did it again because it was so popular the first time around!  Some things I wish we would have done as extensions is try hot pop and almost frozen pop.  Atoms when they are hot move more rapidly.  Will it be a bigger explosion?  When atoms are really cold, they move very slowly, would it be a sluggish burst?

What about coke as opposed to diet coke or orange pop or sprite.  Will it make any difference?

The children were so very tired after this and we were all content from all the fun we had!

Another great book to add to this unit is Max Axiom, The Solid Truth About States of Matter by Agnieszka Biskup.  This is a graphic novel that children really love!  It is written for 8 to 14 year olds.

EXTRA CREDIT- One thing we started, but I admit we have not been keeping it up, is recite the elements.  We gave the children the option if they wanted to remember the first 5 elements and their symbols and if at the next meeting they could recite them we would give them a treat.  They could recite 5 elements  per meeting.  But we just get so busy planning everything.

EXTRA EXTRA CREDIT  We also have a game called Molecule Memory.   At 8 we mostly just use it to look and observe the different molecules.  But our son can still play the game.  I brought it out so that the kids could see MANY types of molecules.

I hope that this will inspire families to get together and have a science club!  It is really a lot of fun!  We start our meetings at about 12.  I let the children play for about 45 minutes, they just love to get together.  We make a lunch for the children, because I think it is a lot of fun for them to share a meal with friends and use their manners.  After lunch we get started on our club meeting and then if there is time left over the children get to play some more.

Please message me if you have any questions, I would love to help out any way I can and join us at Geeky Moms Science Club.

Be a wonderful influence on a child’s life today.

Molecules and Atoms with Geeky Mom's Science Club

Molecules and atoms with Geeky Mom Meeting 1

I like to start the year of Homeschool Science Club  with these basic meetings about atoms and molecules. This is usually done in 2 meetings, and can be about 45 minutes long.  My meetings are meant for K to 4th graders.  Since this is a club and not a class room, I like it to be experiment based with videos that the kids can watch and reading books are an option too.

Meeting 1

Activity 1 Build a model of an atom.

Paper, markers,  small green, yellow and red items (5 of each color for each child) glue

Ask the children "What is an atom?"  and let them tell you wht they might know about atoms.

We have a discussion that a long time ago scientist wondered “what is the smallest thing that you can have?  If you take something and keep splitting it and splitting it, what is the smallest piece there is?

The answer is an atom.

1.        Explain to the children that an atom contains 3 parts.  In the center or the nucleus is the protons( green, posotive) and neutrons (yellow, nuetral)) and in the outer cloud is the electrons(red, negative.).  Give each child  a piece of paper and have them glue a green  proton (candy, small paper circle) item and a yellow   neutron  in the center and that will be your nucleus.

2.        Then draw a circle around the nucleus and glue a red marker for an electron in the cloud.  Tell the children that they have just made a Hydrogen atom (H). Hydrogen is the MOST abundant atom in the universe  and the sun is made of hydrogen!!!

3.        Then have them add another yellow and green in the nucleus,  draw a circle for the cloud and glue a red on it and tell them them that they just made a Helium (He) atom, and again a red, yellow and green for a Lithium (Li) atom, then a red, yellow and green again for a beryllium (Be) and then again for a Boron (B).

4.        Make sure that they make a key explaining the 3 different colors and set aside to let dry..

 It is important to use the word over and over as much as possible nucleus, electron, proton, neutron and cloud.  When you regularly use these words it will help the children to recall them.  Remind them that every atom is different  because of how many neutrons and protons are in the nucleus.

5.  Ask the children again "What is a atom?"

FUN FACT...  If the nucleus was the size of a soccer ball, the cloud would be about the size of a stadium

Activity 2  States of Matter

Ice, really hot water (USE CAUTION :)) water and  cups,  balloon

Here we will describe to the children the 3 (well really 4) states of matter.

Everything is made of matter!!!  You, the table, the water we drink and the air we breath.

1.       First ask the children "  Do you know what matter is?" and "Do you know what the 4 states of matter is?"  Then take Ice cubes and pass them around and have the children observe and feel the ice, have them tell you about it.  Hard, solid, cold.  Have them tell you the different things around them that is solid.

2.       Then pass  around water in a cup, have them observe that the water moves around freely and will fit into any container you put it in. Try to let them have opportunities to splash around water.  It does not come in one shape.  Really try to let them observe and play with is.

3.       Have some water heated on the stove top or microwave, a parent volunteer is very helpful here, they can reheat water.  REMIND the children to be very careful, for hot steamy water burns, but try to give them the opportunity to feel the steam. You can blow up a balloon and show how the balloon holds the gas and you can even use your breath to show how you can move the balloon like wind.  Just because we can not see it, does not mean it is not there!

  The air we breath is mostly nitrogen and then oxygen and a small amount of other elements.  You can 

4.     The 4th state of matter is the most abundant  in the universe but the least talked about!  Ask them if they know what it is?  The sun!!!  The sun is made of electrically charged plasma and it is the most abundant of the states of matter!

5.     If you have time  I highly recommend reading to your group 

 Let’s read and find out level 2  what is the world made of States of matter. by Zoehfeld

Solids, liquids and gases By Garrett

 Building Blocks of Science Matter and its properties By Midthun

                                                                                                                                                              Activity 3

          

Large Marshmallows, food color, paper plates, tooth picks, microwave

In this activity we explore what heat does to atoms.  You can also just do Peeps with this activity, but I have found through the years one thing to be true, KIDS LOVE THIS ACTIVITY!

  1.       When we start this activity I want my little children to pretend that they are atoms, cold atoms and cold little atom children hardly move at all.  But then they begin to warm up and my warm atom children begin moving a little more back and forth, then instruct them to warm up even more and move even more.  Eventually they are boiling and when they are boiling they are moving their atom bodies wildly in their seats!  As atoms heat up atoms move more and more and more.  Children LOVE this Kinetic form of learning!

2.        Then I give each child a plate (personally, I prefer paper, easy to clean up), a marshmallow and some toothpicks.  In the middle of the table on a plate I have a drops of food color on a plate.  The children use the tips of the toothpicks in the food color to make pictures on their marshmallows.

3.       Then we take them and their marshmallow on a plate and we put it in the microwave for about 20 seconds.  I make sure that I have already put a stool under the microwave so that they can watch what happens.  I guide them in programming the microwave and stand back and watch as they hit start!

4.        As the microwave heats up the marshmallow, the atoms inside the microwave heat up and begin to move rapidly, bouncing against each other and causing the marshmallow to expand.  The art that they draw expands and I have yet to meet a child that does not get giddy form watching their marshmallow expand!

5.       After the time is up they get to devour their hot melted marshmallow!  This is probably the best part! YUMMY!  I f you just so happen to go a  little to long, it reminds you of a Lucky Charms candy ;)  I give them a few more tries at this experiment!!!

6.       But if you are in Peeps season, Kids love to watch their little chicks grow large, or their pumpkins or trees!  I heard that if you take 2 Peep chicks and place them facing each other with toothpicks in their mouths it will look like they are sword fighting. I have tried, but never succeeded.

Activity 4  The GREAT Mentos Experiment

Children sure do love EXPLOSIONS!  A simple experiment that I really do not think that the kids care much about the science and just love to watch things explode and spew!  Well, so do I, so my little guys are a very lucky bunch ;)

Simple supply list:  Mentos and Diet coke

1.        We took this outside!!!

2.       Take a bottle of diet coke and add Mentos and stand back!

3.       Be prepared for a quick geyser of an explosion!

Please feel free to go to http://www.stevespanglerscience.com/lab/experiments/original-mentos-diet-coke-geyser

for a really good description of how it works!

By the end of the experiments, the kids always seem tired!  But it has been a fulfilling afternoon.  It opens their eyes to so many fun ideas and concepts.  What I love about experiment based learning is that they learn intuitively what happens and I have found that this simply lasts longer in their memory than some book and lecture!  SO get out and enjoy.  Be the change that you want to see happen!

Also there is a really fun video in elements you could show them.  It is a song by They might be Giants called"Meet the Elements"

Please let me know if you enjoyed these experiments or if you have any ideas you would love to share! questions or join us on Facebook at my page Geeky Moms Science CLub