The Mad Scientist Teaches: Life science - 64 Fun Science Experiments for Grades 1 to 8

1.41

THE MAD SCIENTIST TEACHES: LIFE SCIENCE

VOLUME 4 | 64 science projects for grades 1 to 8

Revision 1.41

This edition was first internationally published in Dec 2010 by JBC Media Group (Pty) Ltd for www.experiland.com. Original fixed layouts remastered in .epub & .mobi formats (Jan 2017)

ISBN: 9781311668400

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_TABLE OF CONTENTS

[PREFACE]

Preface

Introduction

Let’s Begin!

A Word about Safety

How to…

What is Life Science About?

[SCIENCE EXPERIMENTS: BOTANY]

Project 01 - Perspiring Potato

Learn how osmosis work with salt water and a potato

Project 02 - Light for Life

Prove that green plants need light to survive

Project 03 - Pharaohs and Pyramids

Mummify an orange

Project 04 - An Apple a Day…

Prevent the inside of an apple from oxidizing with lemon juice

Project 05 - Coming Up for Oxygen

Study if green plants produce oxygen faster in stronger sunlight

Project 06 - Fountain of Youth

Test if ‘Vitamin E’ can slow down the aging process

Project 07 - Multi-Colour a Flower

Colour a white flower with food colorant

Project 08 - Into The Light

Test the difference of plants growing in the dark versus in the light

Project 09 - Watching The Leaves Turn

Dissolve leaves in baking soda to study their vein structures

Project 10 - All in A Day’s Graft

Graft two separate types of plants together

Project 11 - One Bad Apple Ruins the Whole Barrel

Study if a spoiled fruit causes other fruits to ripen faster

Project 12 - Healthy Hydroponic Garden

Grow plants in your own hydroponic garden

Project 13 - Dyeing to See the Result

Make coloured dyes from various plant substances

Project 14 - Seed Sprouting

Test in which liquids do seeds grow best

Project 15 - Temperature and Seeds

Study how temperature can affect how fast seeds germinate

Project 16 - It’s a Plant’s Life!

Test the damaging effects of phosphate on freshwater plant life

Project 17 - Whatever the Weather

Study how plants are affected by temperature and environment

Project 18 - Leave My Leaves

Study how the amount of leaves affects the growth of a plant

Project 19 - Spoiled Rotten!

Test if ordinary household items can be used as food preservatives

Project 20 - Leafy Green Solar Machine

Trees act as large solar panels - Calculate the area of the leaves

Project 21 - Comparing Apples & Oranges

Test how much Vitamin C is in fruit juice

[SCIENCE EXPERIMENTS: ECOLOGY]

Project 22 - Pedestals and Plateaus

Make a sheet erosion landscape to study soil erosion

Project 23 - Bio-Jar

Build your own biosphere

[SCIENCE EXPERIMENTS: ENTOMOLOGY]

Project 24 - Fly in The Ointment

Study what happens to a house fly in cold weather

Project 25 - Chill Out!

Study if moth cocoons can survive freezing temperatures

Project 26 - Ant Army Rations

Study how ants communicate to find their food

Project 27 - The Order of Ants

Study the social organization of ants by making an ant farm

Project 28 - Soil Bugs Bugging You?

Make a ‘Berlese’ funnel to catch soil-burrowing insects

Project 29 - Fly by Night!

Make a box trap to capture nocturnal insects

Project 30 - Insect Repellent

Study what effect low or high pitched sounds have on nocturnal insects

[SCIENCE EXPERIMENTS: HUMAN ANATOMY]

Project 31 - Nothing as Personal as Fingerprints

Study your friends’ fingerprints

Project 32 - Testing the Water

Subjective testing hot & cold water

Project 33 - Not to Be Sniffed At

Do you taste better with your nose or mouth?

Project 34 - Hole in One - Hand

Confuse your brain with this science experiment

Project 35 - Seeing Red

Test if your eyes can get tired of seeing only one colour

Project 36 - Pulse Rate

Learn how the pulse rates of different individuals vary

Project 37 - I Spy with My Little Eye

Learn how the eye colour of different individuals vary

Project 38 - Treat Your Tongue to Some Tastes

Map the positions of tastes of your tongue

Project 39 - Are You Going Blind?

Find the ‘blind spot’ in your eye with this simple experiment

Project 40 - In The Eye of the Beholder

Find out which of your two eyes are more dominant

Project 41 - Knee-Jerk Reflex

Test your friends’ reflexes with the knee-reflex test

Project 42 - Life in Three Dimensions

Make a 3D viewer with the power of visual illusion

Project 43 - Ghostly Eye Candy

Fool your eyes with this science experiment

Project 44 - If All Else Fails, Read The Label

Compare the amounts of nutrients in various types of cereals

Project 45 - Heart Broken?

Make your own device for listening to your heart

Project 46 - A Matter of Balance

Study which factors affect a person's sense of balance

Project 47 - Smoke & Mirrors!

Fool your eyes with these optical illusions

Project 48 - Flexing Muscles

Learn how muscle contraction causes bones to move

Project 49 - Breathe in, Breathe Out

See how much air can your lungs hold

Project 50 - Does It Sound Confusing?

Test your friends’ ability to judge the direction of sounds

Project 51 - Twenty / Twenty Vision

Make a Snellen chart to test your friends’ eyesight

Project 52 - More Than One Way to Skin a Cat

Make a Von Frey device to test where your body are most touch sensitive

[SCIENCE EXPERIMENTS: MYCOLOGY]

Project 53 - Spit It Out

Compare the rate of bacterial growth in dog versus human saliva

Project 54 - Milk Microbes

Test what affects the growth of microbes in milk

Project 55 - Food Fungus

Create a colourful fungus garden

[SCIENCE EXPERIMENTS: ZOOLOGY]

Project 56 - Turn The Turtle

Learn how to tell whether a turtle is male or female

Project 57 - Stick and Stones May Break My Bones...

Study what happens to a bone when it loses its proteins

Project 58 - Eat Like a Bird

Study if birds prefer one type of food over another

Project 59 - It Never Rains but It Pours

Test the effects of acid rain on ocean life

Project 60 - Floating On Water

Study the effect of pollution on fresh water birds’ ability to float

Project 61 - See for Your’cell’f

Build a model of an animal cell

Project 62 - The Magic of Membranes

Study the flow of materials through living membranes such as an egg

Project 63 - Sweet Toothed Bird

Make a simple Hummingbird feeder

Project 64 - Every Worm Has Its Hole

Study the complete life cycle of a mealworm

[EPILOGUE]

Unit Conversions

Acknowledgements

Thank you

INTRODUCTION

FOREWORD

Thank you for purchasing a science experiment e-book from Experiland.com! Whether you are a parent or a student trying to find an idea for a science project, a teacher looking for ideas for the classroom, or a science enthusiast who enjoys the delight of experimentation, we trust you will find what you're looking for in this book. This book is a fascinating collection of both old and new science projects & experiments covering the whole basic spectrum of the astonishing field of science, and at the same time avoiding repetitions and similarities so often found in science project literature.

This book is not intended for serious scientists, we will not be discussing quantum physics, Astrophysical equations, or Human stem cell cyto-kinesis. Rather is it written and compiled as fun educational entertainment for the young scientist who enjoys putting their mental agility to test and curiosity to rest!

Enjoy the content and may you have many hours of fun with the experiments!

LET’S BEGIN!

GREETINGS!

Greetings fellow scientists! Welcome to the exciting exploration of the world around us...the world of science. This is a book full of fun & though-provoking science projects and experiments that will teach you, step-by-step, how to create an exciting project that not only demonstrates good scientific practice but provides a safe and fun educational experience too! With this book you will discover that science is a part of every object in our daily lives. Who knows? Maybe someday you'll create your own fascinating inventions—or even grow up to be a rocket scientist!

You can read all the books on music and guitars in the world, but that won't make you a great guitar player. You have to actually practise with a guitar to get it right! It is easiest to figure things out by getting your hands 'dirty' by doing! Science works exactly the same way. Yes, you can learn a lot in science class or by doing homework, but there's nothing quite as much fun as learning by getting your hands dirty doing some science experiments.

Science can be really simple and is actually only about understanding the world you live in! Science certainly does not need to be complicated formulas, heavy text books and geeky guys in white lab coats with thick glasses. Doing science experiments are all about testing and getting results, even if you get a surprising result than you might not have expected. But remember, even if things don't work out as you would have hoped, a good scientist is constantly asking: Why? Science is in fact only an organized system created by people to gather and store information. We use it as a way to define and understand the world we live in!

Science experiments are an awesome part of science that allows you to engage in cool and exciting hands on learning experiences that you are sure to enjoy and remember! A short introduction to each project will help raise questions in your mind, followed by step-by-step instructions for creating your project. Finally, our conclusion and learn more sections will help you understand what your project demonstrates and how this information can answer broader questions