Saturday, August 28, 2010

H2OOOOOOOh! Rocket Challenge
Discover the Engineer within…
This exciting science challenge, brought to Imagination Station by The Blade, gives kids of all ages the opportunity to design and build their own rocket. We’ll provide everything that you need (bottles, paper, tape, water, etc), you just need to bring the idea and the willingness to put it together. If your water rocket hits the target, you’ll be entered to win an awesome science kit! Read more…

Film Canister Rockets are a favorite experiment at Imagination Station. We do them frequently within the Science Studio, a learning world that allows visitors to do hands-on experiments and other activities.

One of the best things about this activity is that Read more…

If you happen to have been watching channel 11 (WTOL) on Saturday, August 7, 2010, then you saw our Chief Scientist, Carl Nelson do our Dinosaur Toothpaste demonstration. Well, the actual demonstrations name is Elephant’s Toothpaste and it is called this because Read more…

Plastic is one of those materials that is used for everything from dishes to toys. Have you ever wondered about how it all gets made? We have an activity here that allows you to make your own plastic. This particular activity is one that we have free to all of our visitors in our Science Studio. This is a wonderful exhibit area that changes every day and has lots more activities. We also, for your reading pleasure, have gone on to extend the activity to discuss how plastic gets made and add a little more science behind, Plastic Milk. Read more…

Imagination Station challenged area classrooms to stretch the limits of science with rubber bands. The Rubber Band Car Challenge was issued in early spring and received a number of admissions over the course of its run. Classes were asked to create a car, powered only by rubber bands, that traveled the furthest distance. The only REQUIRED material to use was a standard-sized rubber band. No more than five rubber bands were permitted per car. The cars were required to be powered solely by the rubber band(s). No motors. Read more…

cforms contact form by delicious:days

The 2010 Winter Olympic Games are taking place  in Vancouver, Canada this year. In honor of this prestigious athletic event, Imagination Station is hosting a Science of the Olympics event this weekend, called Go for the Au! (That’s gold, in chemical terms). Read more…

Don’t miss our weekly activity in the Little KIDSPACE Science Studio.  A trained team member will read an exciting, interactive story to your child and then everyone gets a chance to complete a fun activity to take home and display proudly!  This is a great new addition to your child’s Imagination Station experience. Read more…

What You Need:

• 4 small paper cups
• 2 long, sturdy straws
• Tape
• Pins
• Pencil with erasers

Procedure:

1. Form a cross with the 2 straws (bisect one another in the center of each straw) and tape them securely at the center (make sure the tape will hold!).
2. Securely tape one paper cup to both ends of each straw – make sure the cups all face the same direction.
3. Now you need to create an axle for the anemometer to rotate around.  Do this by pushing a straight pin down through the center of the straws (the point where the straws bisect).
4. Push the straight pin, which is already connected to the straws, into the eraser at the end of a pencil.
5. Color or mark one of the cups so that you can distinguish it from the other cups as the anemometer rotates.
6. Take your anemometer outside and test the wind speed!  What happens when the wind begins to blow?

What’s the Science?

Your anemometer will spin in the wind!  Meteorologists use anemometers to measure wind speed, and it’s as easy to observe with the one you constructed. As the wind blows on the open end of your paper cups, a force is created.  This force then rotates the unit and you can measure how fast the wind is moving. The stronger the winds, the faster your anemometer spins.

What is the speed of the wind?  You can measure the speed of the wind by recording the number of complete revolutions made by the anemometer in 1 minute.

Extension Activity:

You stay up on the weather and view forecasts about wind direction and wind speed by checking out local and national weather/meteorology web sites.  Spend a week following daily wind speeds and weather.  Then, record data and make forecasts.  Who knows, you may be more accurate than the local meteorologists!

This is a quick and simple method for making your own general-purpose “plastic”. The ingredients are milk and vinegar. Is it really plastic? Well, sort of. You will be making a substance called CASIN. It’s from the latin word meaning “cheese.” Casin occurs when the proteins in milk meet the acid in the vinegar. The casin in milk does not mix with the acid and so it forms blobs. True plastics, called polymers, are a little different. If you want to make a true plastic and learn more about polymers, try making some slime.

What you need:

• 1 cup whole milk
• Small saucepan
• Measuring spoons
• White vinegar
• Clean, empty jar
• Wax paper

What to do:

1. Pour the milk into the saucepan
2. Add 2 teaspoons of vinegar
3. Heat stirring frequently until milk boils, the milk will form tiny lumps (curds) in a clear liquid (whey)
4. Slowly pour the liquid off
5. Spoon the curds into the jar
6. Add 1 teaspoon of vinegar to the curds and let stand for two hours
7. The curds will form a yellowish glob at the bottom of the jar
8. Pour off the liquid and mold the plastic into any shape you wish
9. Place on wax paper and let harden and dry overnight

What’s the Science?
The yellowish glob is made of fat, minerals and the protein casein. The combination of heat and vinegar (acetic acid) helps to pull out or precipitate the protein casein from the milk. Plastic is now synthesized from petroleum products but before this way of making plastic was discovered it was common to make natural plastics from plants and animal fats. In fact, this plastic is environmentally friendly because it will eventually decompose unlike plastics make from petroleum products.

Standards Alignment:
Ohio: Physical Sciences, 3-5, A

Michigan: Middle School, Changes in Matter IV.2