home depot science final€¦ · “home&depot”science& & &...

“Home Depot” Science

1. Dancing Wire: Homopolar Motor Shopping List:

ü Copper Wire-‐ THIS is the gauge we used ü 1/2″₺ x 1/8″₺ Neodymium Disc Magnets ü AA Battery ü Needle nose pliers/wire cutters ü Hot Glue (optional)

What To Do: Place three neodymium magnets on the negative side of your battery. Cut a piece of wire about 10”. Twist and shape the wire into your desired shape. There is no need to be perfect HOWEVER try and keep your form as symmetrical as possible and it must twist around the battery and circle the magnets. (Since the motor spins on an axis, if it is not symmetrical and/or balanced it will spin off the battery.) Place the wire on top of the battery so that it touches the positive pole. The round section at the bottom of the motor must be low enough to encircle the magnets. Let it go. If properly constructed it should start to spin. When the electrical circuit is completed you will hear a very low buzz. If the motor does not work try turning your magnets upside down and reversing the polarity. y. If turning the magnets upside down doesn’t work, try replacing your battery with a new one. Make sure that the bottom section of wire encircles the magnets. If it doesn’t your motor will not work.

Safety Note: Use precautions when touching and removing the magnets after prolonged turning. They can get hot

What’s The Science? Homopolar motors demonstrate something called a Lorentz Force. This is a force that is generated when electricity moves through a magnetic field. The copper wire is conducting electricity from one end of the battery to the other. As it moves through the magnets on the negative side of the battery, it creates a force which causes the wire to spin.

2. Homemade Electromagnet Shopping List:

ü A large iron nail (about 3 inches) ü About 3 feet of THIN COATED copper wire ü A fresh D size battery ü Some paper clips

Electrical Aisle


What To Do: Leave about 8 inches of wire loose at one end and wrap most of the rest of the wire around the nail. Try not to overlap the wires. Cut the wire (if needed) so that there is about another 8 inches loose at the other end. Now remove about an inch of the plastic coating from both ends of the wire and attach the one wire to one end of a battery and the other wire to the other end of the battery. (It is best to tape the wires to the battery – be careful though, the wire could get very hot.) Now you can experiment by picking up paper clips and small non-‐aluminum objects. What’s The Science? Most magnets, like the ones on many refrigerators, cannot be turned off; they are called permanent magnets. This one can be and is therefore called an electromagnet. They run on electricity and are only magnetic when the electricity is flowing. The electricity flowing through the wire arranges the molecules in the nail so that they are attracted to certain metals.

1. GarbageBag Planetarium Shopping List:

ü 4 mil black plastic sheet -‐ 20ft x 50ft ü Large roll of utility (duct) tape ü Large black plastic trash bag -‐ 30 gallons or larger ü Box fan

What To Do: Open the roll of black plastic, unroll the plastic and unfold until the full size is lying on the ground. This will take a big space such as a gymnasium or a clean space outside. The ground needs to be smooth and level underneath the planetarium. Take the corners and fold the plastic in half along the width of the sheet. Tape the “open sides” with utility tape being sure to fold the two plastic sheets over each other in a French fold so that there will be no “light gaps.” Cut the bottom out of the trash bag, creating a tube. Using scissors, opposite from the end that will have the entrance/exit, cut a hole that is the size of the open end of the trash bag on the underside of the sheet. Be sure to only cut through one layer of the sheet—not both. Line up the plastic bag tube with the hole in the planetarium and use utility tape to attach it to the plastic of the planetarium. In the same way, insert the unplugged fan in the other end of the trash bag and tape them together so that the air from the fan will blow through the trash bag tube into the planetarium. Now plug in the fan and the planetarium will inflate. Access to the planetarium may be accomplished by a simple inverted-‐T

Paint Aisle


slit made by the teacher with scissors. An entrance and exit opening separated by a few feet is advised. In an emergency, the teacher can always easily cut open a side with scissors for exit. More detailed instructions and lesson ideas can be found at: http://www.jpl.nasa.gov/edu/pdfs/planetarium.pdf

Activity Modifications: 1. Water Cycle In A Bag: Use clear plastic sheeting to make a “cloud.” Have your students

make water drops and snowflakes and hang them in the cloud. 2. Ocean Bubble: Use Clear plastic sheeting to make an underwater habitat. Have your

students make sea creatures, sea weed etc. and hang them in the cloud.

1. Waterworks

Shopping List: ü pieces of ¾ inch PVC pipe 2ft lengths ü ¾ inch connectors ü 2 five gallon buckets ü Funnel ü 1 Right angle connector ü Water ü Yard Stick (Paint Aisle)

What To Do: Drill holes in two of the pipes and use modeling clay to “clog” another. Position the two buckets about 50 feet apart. Put a measured amount of water in one (the well) and the other remains empty (the customers). Hold back three pieces of “good” pipe and give the remaining pipe, connectors, and funnel to the group. Instruct them to use the materials to build a 50 ft. pipe line to get water from the well to their customers. If you come across any “defective pipe”, you MUST replace the pipe for a cost of $10.00 for each new section. (Use tokens, checkers or something similar for money) After putting together your pipeline, if you experience a leak somewhere, each leak will cost your company $10.00 to repair. You have 15 minutes to get as much water as you can to your city with as much money left as possible.

2. Watershed Model Shopping List:

ü 1 can of spray insulation ü Clear plastic box ü Craft Sticks

Plumbing Aisle


ü Green and Brown Spray Paint What To Do: Make a watershed model by spraying spray insulation into a clear plastic box. The foam will expand once it is in the box so do not overfill. Using a craft stick or old pencil, shape the “landscape” and make an indented area to represent a creek or river. Let the model dry for at least 24 hours before using. You should be able to lift the model out of the box when it is dry. Spray paint the top green and the sides brown. You will see openings in the foam on the sides representing the caves and crevices of an aquifer.

3. Secret Message Shopping List:

ü Teflon Tape (Plumbers Tape) ü Sharpie marker ü Scissors

What To Do: Cut a piece of Teflon Tape long enough to write your message on. Place the Teflon Tape strip on a piece of paper to write your message and write the message with a permanent marker. Now lift the tape off of the flat surface and stretch the tape from top to bottom. You want to be making your message taller, not longer. Pull carefully so that you don’t tear your message. Give the message to a friend and see if they can figure out how to make the letters their original shape again. The secret is to pull firmly on the tape from end to end to make the letters short again. When you are done pulling the tape, your message will be completely readable.

What’s The Science? Teflon Tape is a type of polymer called polytetrafluoroethylene (PTFE), a polymer that has long chains of molecules lined up side-‐by-‐side and on top of each other. If you try to stretch the tape end to end before stretching it from top to bottom, you won’t be able to stretch it much at all. That is because the polymers are bonded to each tightly. But, there are lots of chains stacked on top of each other. These stacks make it possible to pull the tape from top to bottom and stretch your secret message. When the polymer chains are pulled from top to bottom they slide over one another and reduce the number of chains in a section without breaking the chains themselves. When the tape is pulled back end to end, the chains are realigned and your message is legible again.


4. Totally Tubular Science Bracelets Shopping List:

ü Plastic Tubing -‐ 4 to 5 feet of 7/16″₺ Outer Diameter (OD) recommended

ü 1 foot of tubing whose OD matches the Inner Diameter of the 7/16″₺ tubing-‐ this will be the “plug” for the bracelet. It needs to be very snug. If you can’t find matching tubes see the plug alternative below*

ü Large Glitter ü Small Beads or Objects to fit within the tube ü Cooking Oil ü Painters Tape ü Clear Tape (optional) ü Funnel ü Water

What To Do: Cut your larger tubing 8″₺ long for little wrists and about 9-‐1/2″₺ long for adults. Cut about an inch of smaller tubing for the plug. If you couldn’t find tubing with the right diameter for the plug see below for an alternative*. Fit the smaller tubing into one end of the larger tube. If you’re having trouble, take some cooking oil and dab it on the end of the small tube. It should slide in the larger tube more easily. Put a piece of painter’s tape on the end of the plug. Fill the tube with beads and glitter. The beads should be added one at a time so as not to get stuck in the end of the funnel. Glitter can be shaken into the funnel. When the tube is half or three quarters full, stop. Remove the funnel and tape at both ends of the tubing. Make sure you are holding the tube in a “U” shape so the filling doesn’t come spilling out. Place the funnel on the other end of the large tube and tape around the connection point. Add water. You’ll want to place the large end of the tubing under a faucet and fill slightly. Leave some air within the tube so the water can float around freely. Take the plug end of the tubing and wrap it around to meet the other end of the bracelet. Insert the plug. Use oil again if you are having a hard time. Dry off any excess water on the bracelet. You can place some clear tape around the connection point to prevent leakage. *Plug Alternative: Cut a small piece (1/2″₺ to 1″₺) of the same sized tubing you are using for the bracelet to act as the plug. Now cut a slit down the length of this piece. Curl the tubing in on itself until it fits within the longer section of tubing. If it still doesn’t fit, cut about an 1/8″₺ off the entire length of the tubing, then curl it in and insert. What’s The Science? Density describes how compact or concentrated something is. The glitter floats freely around the tube because it is less dense than the water and is flat. Its shape and density make it easy for the water to push it around the tube.


1. Vacuum Packed Kid Shopping List:

ü Portable vacuum cleaner or shop vac ü 55 gallon plastic bag (Cleaning Aisle) ü An assistant

What To Do: Place the bag on the floor and ask a volunteer to step inside and kneel down with their knees on the floor. Pull the bag up to the volunteer’s neck, stick the end of the shop vac or vacuum hose into the bag and ask the volunteer to hold it cupping their hand around the end so that it does not catch the bag. Gather the bag around the volunteer’s neck comfortably tight and turn on the shop vac. Hold the bag so that there are no opening. You now have a vacuum packed kid!

What’s The Science? People often think of shrink wrapping as a process by which air is “sucked” out of a bag. Air occupies space. Prior to starting the experiment, the bag was filled with air. Before turning on the vacuum cleaner, the air pressure inside the bag was the same as the pressure outside the bag. The vacuum cleaner removed the air from the bag and created a situation where the pressure outside the bag was greater than the pressure inside the bag. This allowed the bag to shrink or be molded around the volunteer. The practical applications for this experiment include vacuum packaging of food such as coffee and peanuts or cryovac packaging in the meat packing business to reduce spoilage of meats.

1. Disappearing Water Shopping List:

ü Water Storing Crystals (Miracle-‐Gro) ü Glass or cup ü Water

What To Do: Put a small amount of the Water Storing Crystals in to a cup. Pour in enough water to cover the crystals. Watch what happens. Pick up the cup and try to pour the water back out. Where is it? Pour the crystals out and examine them. How are they different?

Hardware Aisle

Garden Aisle


What’s The Science? The secret is a superabsorbent polymer called sodium polyacrylate. A polymer is a long chain of like molecules (monomers). The prefix “poly” means many; the prefix “mono” means one. Superabsorbent polymers are able to expand exponentially when they come in contact with water. The molecules of the polymer draw the water in and hold onto it

Try This:

With a little practice you can amaze your friends by pouring water in the cup and making it disappear! Put some crystals in the bottom of a Styrofoam cup. Show them the cup, even tip it so they can see the inside (the crystals are white and if you do it quickly and from a distance you can’t see them.) Pour in some water and say a few magic words while you wave your hand over the cup – giving the crystals enough time to work. Now slowly tip the cup over. No water comes out!

Other Interesting “Home Depot” Science Stuff:

Weather Station

Safety Equipment

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