Spooky Science #6 ~ Leaping Flame

What you will need:

*matches

*candle

*candle holder.

What do you do:

We tried many different candles and nothing worked like the birthday candle. We dripped a little wax on a tin top from another candle and we stood the birthday candle up on that to secure it. Next you will want to allow the candle to burn for about a minute so that it will make alot of smoke. The birthday candle was just more smokey.

Blow the candle out gently so you do not disturb the thin trail of smoke that will come from the candle. Hold the lit match in the smoke away from the wick. The flame will travel from the match, through the smoke, and relight the candle!

Have fun!!!

Spooky Science #5 - Secret Messages

Want to make a secret message?

Well, this is how...

What do you need?

*Typing paper cut into little slips of paper

*Lemon juice, onion juice, or vinegar in a small bowl

*Candle

*Large glass bowl with water in it.

*Q-tips

What do you do?

Gather all your items together on a safe surface. We use an old art board for out messy stuff.

Use the Q-tips dipped in your choice of liquid, we used lemon juice, and write your secret message on the paper.

Now very CAREFULLY move your paper back and forth over your candle flame and watch your message appear!

My boys loved this!

And be ready...

for FIRE! Have that large glass bowl of water HANDY! Tell them beforehand to put the burning paper in the water if it has a flame.

Why does it work?

When you put the invisible "ink" on your paper those areas of the paper under go a chemical change and become similar to cellophane. These areas now have a lower ignition temperature and will burn before the "uninked" higher ignition areas of the paper.

Spooky Science #4 - Bend Water

What do you need:

*plastic spoon

*water faucet

*sweater made of wool or fleece

What to do:

Charge the spoon by rubbing it on the sweater. Turn on the faucet with a gentle thin stream of water. Hold the spoon to the stream of water and watch it bend!

How does it work:

The electric charge attracts the uncharged water particles. Water Conducts electricity and draws the charge from the spoon. Tiny water particles in the air also take up electricity.

NOTE: I had to dry the sweater in the dryer for a few minutes to properly charge it before hand. Enjoy!

Spooky Science #3 - Hole in the Hand

We are having so much fun with our Spooky Science. :) It is now time to see through your hand!

How to see a hole through your hand:

Equipment: 1 sheet of paper, your hand, your eyes

How to do it.

Roll the paper into a tube. We thought a tightly rolled paper with an opening between a quarter or fifty cent piece worked the best. Hold the tube with your right hand and look through it with your right eye. hold your left hand open on the left next to the paper. There should be a hole!

How it works:

Your right eye sees the hole in the paper tube and your hand, your left eye sees your hand, both eyes composite the images in the brain and combine them into one image. Nifty, huh?

Have fun!

Spooky Science #2 - Ghost in the Castle

We had our second spooky science experiment today! :)

Equipment: This photo...

If you have need of a larger photo click HERE.

Instructions:

You can of course SEE the black ghost, but did you know a white ghost will also haunt these ruins? In order to see him you must stare fixedly at the black ghosts mouth in bright light for 1 minute. After a minute you will need to quickly look in the doorway of the castle and you should see the white ghost. :)

How it works:

When you are looking at the black ghost part of your retina is NOT exposed to the light from the black surface. The rest of your optic nerves are LIKE WHOA and dazzled by the bright paper and they tire very quickly. When you look in the doorway of the castle the tired optic nerves do not see the white of the paper to its full brightness. They see it as more grey. The rest, on the other hand, see the white tint of the paper all the more clearly now. An exchange of black and white surfaces is produced and you can now see a white ghost! Once the nerves adjust themselves the white ghost disappears.

I had the boys sit on the couch under a light. Elijah could see it, but Remy couldn't.

He still couldn't see it, no matter what we did!

Once I had it on the computer I think the bright light from the computer helped his retinas see it better. Just some tips for those with younger children. The computer enabled us to see the ghost more clearly on the walls, ceiling, etc.

Have fun!