Dancing Spaghetti

How does it work?

Since the surface of the noodles is rough, tiny bubbles of carbon dioxide gas are at-tracted to it. These bubbles increase the volume of the noodle substantially, but contrib-ute very little to its mass. As a result, the overall density of the noodle is lowered, caus-ing it to be carried upward by the more dense fluid surrounding it. Archimedes’ Principle states that the buoyant force exerted on a fluid is equal to the weight of fluid displaced. Since the noodles now have a greater volume, they displace more water, causing the fluid to exert a greater buoyant force. The buoyant force of the surrounding fluid is what pushes the noodles to the top. Once the noodles reach the top, the bubbles pop upon exposure to the air. This makes the noodles more dense, causing them to sink. As more bubbles adhere to the noodles, the density of the noodles decreases and they rise to the surface again. This experiment very clearly shows that an increase in volume will lead to a decrease in density.  What you can do at home:

• Try using soda to create your noodle "dancers” or test different kind of "dancers" like noodles, lentils, raisins, even corn!

What you will need:

• Clear drinking glasses• Pasta noodles• Water• Vinegar• Baking soda• Food coloring• Various small objects

Pop Rocks Expander - Candy Science

How does it work?

The secret behind the famous "popping" of Pop Rocks candy is pressurized carbon dioxide gas. Each of the tiny little candy pebbles contains a small amount of the gas. These tiny carbon dioxide bubbles make the popping sound you hear when they burst free from their candy shells. The carbon dioxide contained in the candy isn't enough to cause even the small amount of inflation you observe in the experiment. That's where the soda comes into play. The soda also contains pressurized carbon dioxide gas. When the Pop Rocks are dropped into the soda, some carbon dioxide is able to escape from the high fructose corn syrup of the soda and, because the carbon dioxide gas has no where to go in the bottle, it rises into the balloon.

What you can do at home:

• Test whether the temperature of soda makes a difference in the amount of car-bon dioxide released.• Try testing different types (or brands) of soda to see which releases the most car-

bon dioxide gas.• Test different Pop Rocks flavors to see if the flavor changes the amount of car-

bon dioxide in the balloon.

What you will need:

• Pop Rocks(try to find multiple flavors)• Balloons• Funnel• 12-16 oz bottles of soda (the greater soda variety, the better)

Anti Gravity Water

How does it work?

Most people predict that the water will leak through the holes in the handkerchief be-cause the water leaked through the holes as it was poured into the glass. The holes in the handkerchief literally disappeared when the cloth was stretched tightly across the mouth of the glass. This action allowed the water molecules to bond to other water mol-ecules, creating what is called surface tension. The water stays in the glass even though there are tiny holes in the handkerchief because the molecules of water are joined to form a thin membrane between each opening in the cloth.

What you can do at home:

• Fill a cup or beaker until it's overflowing with water. Then, place an index card or cardstock paper over the top, pressing down slightly to make sure it's touching the rim of the cup. With your hand securing the card onto the cup, turn the cup upside-down. When you're ready, remove your hand. The card will hold the water in the cup.

What you will need:

• Tall glass with a round edge• A handkerchief• A pitcher of water• Bowl or sink