The Little Book of Big BangsEight Big Bangs you can

try at home!

Presents

Safety FirstThe most important part of any science experiment or build is SAFETY. At Sci-Tech we always make sure we are safe when doing our experiments. This includes wearing protective equipment like GOGGLES, HEARING PROTECTION, GLOVES and LAB Coats whenever need-ed. Always make sure you are being safe, and have an adult with you.

Mythbusters: Don’t Try This at Home! by Mary Packard Fire Bubbles and Exploding Toothpaste: More Unforgettable Experiments That Make Science Fun. by Steve Spangler Naked Eggs and Flying Potatoes: Unforgettable Experi-ments That Make Science Fun by Steve Spangler

This Book Isn’t Safe by Colin Furze

Awesome Sources for Science

Field NotesAs you try the experiments, you can record your results in the field notes section in the back of the book.

We hope you really enjoy testing the experiments in this book. The great thing about science is that it is even more fun with friends. When you invite friends over to do the experiments with you don’t forget to tell them all about Sci-Tech and give them one of the stickers from the book.

Also tag us on social @urjscitechwest and use #scitech-westbigbang for a chance to be featured on our page

Share Your Experiments

Table of Contents4 Bernoulli’s Bag

5 Whirlpool Pour

6 Alka-Seltzer Rockets

7 Upcycled Hover-board

8 Elephant Toothpaste

9 Coke and Mentos Rockets

10 Dry Ice Bubble Snake

11 Magic Polymers

12 Field Notes

Bernoulli’s Bag

At a glance:Use Bernoulli’s Principle to impress your friends as you

rapidly inflate a 6 foot long bag.

Materials:1 “Diaper Geenie” or generic brand refill bag cartridge

Steps:1. Remove the super long bag from the plastic “Diaper

Geenie” cartridge.2. Cut the bag into a few sections that are about 6 feet

long3. Tie off one end of each section so that air cannot

escape, forming a long thin bag.4. Ask your friend to blow one of the bags up like a

balloon. 5. While your friend is struggling simply hold the

opening of the bag as wide as possible, about 6 to 8 inches away from your mouth, then blow into it and watch it fill with air.

Take it further:What real life applications are Bernoulli’s Principle used for?

How it works:By breathing directly into the bag your friend is only able to fill up the bag with as much air as they have in their lungs. However, due to Bernoulli’s Principle when you blow into the bag from further away it creates a low pressure system pulling the air around it in along with your breath.

Whirlpool PourAt a glance:Use a whirlpool to empty a water bottle super fast. Race

your friends to see how much faster whirlpools work!

Materials:2 empty two-liter soda bottles. Bottles with smoother sides work best.

Steps:1. Fill both bottles most of the way with water leaving

a little space for air2. Tell your friend that you can empty your bottle fast-

er than they can3. As they flip their bottle over to empty it, flip your

bottle over and swish it in a circular motion creat-ing a small whirlpool in the middle

4. Watch your water rush out as your friends bottle bubbles and gurgles.

Take it Further:Try the experiment again with a bottle that has a smaller or larger mouth. Does it work better or worse? Why?

How it works:As a regular bottle empties of water, air rushes in to fill the empty space. As the air and water compete for space in the opening of the bottle the movement of the water is restricted by the force of the incoming air. By creating a whirlpool an empty channel opens at the center of the spout allowing air to rush in the center as water rushes out the sides without colliding with each other.

Alka-Seltzer RocketsAt a glance:

Get ready for blast off with little rockets made out of film canisters.

Materials:1 film canister (available online)A few packets of Alka-Seltzer tablets1 pitcher or bottle of water (something easy to pour)Optional: arts supplies to decorate your rocket(Space outdoors away from anything you don’t want to get wet)Steps:1. Fill a film canister about a quarter way with water2. With the cap ready, drop a tablet into the canister3. Quickly replace the cap pressing firmly to make

sure it is fully attached4. Place the film canister upside down on the ground

or a table so that the bottle is resting on the lid5. Watch your rocket soar through the sky

Take it Further:Try filling the canisters with more or less water, or try adding more tablets. Can you find the best ratio of water to tablets to make the film canister the highest? What happen when you add paper fins or a pointed top to the outside.

How it works:The Alka-Seltzer tablets release carbon dioxide when mixed with water. As pressure builds inside the film canister, the air searches for the path of least resis-tance in order to escape. Once the air builds to a crit-ical pressure it pops off the cap forcing all of the air and water down while the canister is pushed up.

Upcycled Hover-boardAt a glance:

Make a mini hover-board with materials from around the house.

Materials:1 CD or DVD disc1 cap from a pull top water bottle or soap bottle1 BalloonA Hot glue gun and a couple of glue sticks

Steps:1. Glue the bottle cap to the disc so that the disc’s

hole is centered under the bottle cap and the part you drink from is pointed up

2. Inflate the balloon and pinch the end so the air doesn’t escape.

3. Place the opening of the balloon around the part of the cap you drink from, make sure the cap is pressed down so the air doesn’t escape.

4. Place the disc on a flat surface, pull the cap open, and watch the disc hover slightly as the air escapes underneath.

Take it Further:Try racing your hover-board on different surfaces. What works best: sand, concrete, grass, wood floor, marble counter-top, etc?

How it works:As the air slowly escapes through the hole at the cen-ter of the disc, the pressure of the air under the disc forces the disc to hover above the floor. Air hockey tables work the same way, pushing air u[ from under-neath the puck using a fan.

Elephant ToothpasteAt a glance:Create a colorful concoction of foam with this kid-friendly

version of one of our favorite Big Bangs.

Materials:1/2 cup 3% hydrogen peroxide solution1 Packet of active yeast1/4 Cup Dish SoapWarm waterA few drops of Food coloring1 One-Liter Soda Bottle1 funnel (optional, but makes pouring much easier)(Space outdoors away from anything you don’t want to get wet or dirty)

Steps:1. Pour the Hydrogen Peroxide, Dish Soap, and food

coloring into the empty bottle, gently swish the bottle to mix the ingredients

2. In a clean cup or bowl, mix the yeast with a little warm water, wait about 5 minutes to give the yeast time to activate

3. Pour the yeast into the bottle and watch as it quickly foams out the top

Take it Further:Try the experiment again using different amounts of each of the materials. What ratio works best?

How it works:Hydrogen Peroxide is a molecule made of 2 parts hydro-gen and 2 parts oxygen (H2O2). When mixed with yeast, it breaks down into water (H2O) and Oxygen (O2). As the escaping oxygen mixes with the soapy water it forms tiny bubbles, making foam.

Super Soap

At a glance:Watch in amazement as black pepper flees from your

soapy finger.

Materials:1 Plate or wide bowl1 TSP of black pepperWaterDish Soap

Steps:1. Fill the plate or bowl with at least a thin layer of

water2. Sprinkle the pepper evenly over the surface of the

water3. Wipe your finger in dish soap making sure there is

a thin layer on your finger4. Tap your finger to the top of the water in the center

of the dish and watch the pepper run away

Take it Further:Try Using different amounts of pepper. Does the exper-iment work better with more or less pepper?

How it works:The surface tension of the water holds the pepper flakes in place. The dish soap on your finger breaks apart the bonds of the surface tension. When the bonds break the pepper is pushed out to the parts of the water that still have strong bonds.

Dry Ice Bubble SnakeAt a glance:Make a snake of bubbles out of dry ice and dish soap.

Materials:1 Drinking Cup1 Block of dry ice (available in the butcher or seafood section of many grocery stores)1 TSP of dish soapWater(Space outdoors away from anything you don’t want to get wet)(Adult Supervision, Dry Ice is so cold it can “burn” you)Steps:1. Fill the cup about 1/3 of the way with water2. Gently mix in the dish soap being careful not too

make bubbles3. With an adult, break apart the dry ice into golf ball

sized chunks4. Using tongs, place one chunk into the cup and

watch as bubbles over-pour from the cup

Take it Further:Try it again using different sized chunks of dry ice and containers, what ratio of dry ice to water and soap works best?

How it works:Unlike regular ice, which is made of frozen liquid wa-ter, dry ice is made of frozen carbon dioxide. Instead of melting, it sublimates (goes directly from a solid to a gas). As the gas mixes with the soapy water it forms bubbles.

Magic PolymersAt a glance:

Put a science twist on the old “shell game” magic trick using the power of polymers.

Materials:3 Cups (not see-through)1 cup of water1/4 cup of instant snow powder (or you can take the powder out of the inside of an unused diaper).An audience (family or friends work nicely)A space you don’t mind getting a little wet in case some-thing goes wrong.Steps:1. Pour all of the snow powder into one of the cups2. Invite your audience to come see your trick, make

sure that they can’t see inside of the cups3. Pour the water into the cup with the powder in it.4. Tell your audience to follow the cup with the water.5. Switch the cups around a few times giving the pow-

der time to absorb all of the water and making it diffi-cult for the audience to track the cup.

6. Ask the audience to pick the cup with the water. Flip that cup upside down.

7. Do the same with the other two cups, no water will come out. Where did the water go?

Take it Further:Do the trick again. This time using clear cups so that the audience can see the reaction happen.

How it works:The powder is a polymer that both absorbs water and holds together. As the polymers expand and fill the bot-tom of the cup, they put equal pressure on all sides of the cup. This pressure keeps the polymers and absorbed water from falling out of the cup when it is flipped up-side down.

Field NotesBernoulli’s Bag

Whirlpool Pour

Upcycled Hover-board

Alka-Seltzer Rockets

Take it FurtherBernoulli’s Bag

Whirlpool Pour

Upcycled Hover-board

Alka-Seltzer Rockets

Field NotesElephant Toothpaste

Coke and Mentos Rockets

Magic Polymers

Dry Ice Bubble Snake

Take it FurtherElephant Toothpaste

Coke and Mentos Rockets

Magic Polymers

Dry Ice Bubble Snake

Bernoulli’s Bag

Whirlpool Pour

Alka-Seltzer Rockets

Upcycled Hover-board

Elephant Toothpaste

Super Soap

Dry Ice Bubble Snake

Magic Polymers