Kitchen Science Experiments

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Crisp Packet Fireworks - Science Experiments to Try at Home
(c) Dave Ansell
 

Dark Flames


It sounds like something out of a horror film, but this is a lovely experiment which makes a bright orange flame seem dark, and has lead to scientists finding out the composition of stars on the other side of the universe.
(c) Dave Ansell

Flying Protractors - the power of ground effect


Make stationery glide serenely across a tabletop, and find out how this relates to some of the largest aircraft ever built.
(c) Dave Ansell
 

Electricity from water - Kelvin water drop generator


This is a beautiful little demonstration dating back to to Lord Kelvin. Using a few cans wires and dripping water it is possible to generate thousands of volts in a beautifully elegant piece of physics.
(c) Dave Ansell

Bendy and Brittle Bones


Bone is an incredible material - as for its weight, it can be stronger than steel. Find out why it is so strong with this kitchen science.
(c) gaetanlee
Part 1 Part 2 Listen
...or download as MP3 [1] [2]

Weighing Buoyancy


Does a glass get heavier if you put your finger in the water? Find out in this experiment.
 

The Barking Dog Experiment


This is a classic chemistry experiment dating back to the 19th century with impressive, loud and sometimes explosive results.
 

Phosphorus Moon


Dr Hal brought along another classic chemistry experiment, the phosphorus moon, with rather beautiful results.
(c) Andrew massyn
 

Exploding Eggs - Burning Hydrogen


Hydrogen is an extremely flammable gas, but what happens if you fill an egg with it, light the top and retire to a safe distance?
 

Light Bulbs in Liquid Nitrogen


What would happen if you put a light bulb in a bucket of liquid nitrogen? And would it still work if it were just a filament?
 

Dry Ice Experiments and Bombs


Dr Hal showed us some things to do with dry ice; including the highly dangerous dry ice bomb.
(c) Dave ANsell
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...or download as MP3 [1] [2]

Falling Mugs


Scare all your friends by dropping a mug with seemingly nothing to stop it hitting the floor, and find out what this has to do with ice skating.
(c) Dave Ansell

Recycling Paper


Take some of those old bits of paper and recycle them to make some new paper. It is far more fun than buying recycled paper in a shop.
(c) Dave Ansell

Dropping Eggs


How to stop an egg from breaking when dropped without any padding, and what it has to do with a womb.
(c) Che @ Wikipedia

Confusing colours


Confuse your eyes with this colourful experiment, and find out how it relates to seeing in the dark
(c) Dave Ansell

Fruit Fireballs


You may think that oranges seem are a fairly boring sort of fruit. Discover their more exciting side in this simple experiment.

Freezing batteries


We have a look at the chemistry of batteries and what happens if you cool them down.
(c) Dave Ansell
 

Why does a pigeon's head bob as it walks?


Pigeons and various other birds seem to bob their heads backwards and forwards in a bizarre manner, which seems to be a lot of hard work. I was watching some in front of my garage and dug out the high speed camera to see what is going on.
(c) Dave Ansell

Colour your own flowers


Find out how to make your own garishly coloured flowers, and how it relates to the way plants lift water to their leaves.
Part 1 Part 2 Listen
...or download as MP3 [1] [2]

Snapping Spaghetti


What happens when you snap a simple piece of spaghetti? Believe it or not, this is a question that has baffled some of the finest minds in the world. Why not have a go yourself?
(c) Dave Ansell
Part 1 Part 2 Listen
...or download as MP3 [1] [2]

Building Bridges - The Science of Beams


Have a go at the Naked Scientists Bridge Challenge and see if you can do better than we did...
(c) Dave Ansell
Part 1 Part 2 Listen
...or download as MP3 [1] [2]

Steam explosions - the science of popcorn


Find out some of the science behind that tasty cinema snack! Why is it that you always find tiny popcorn at the bottom of your bowl?
Part 1 Part 2 Part 3 Listen
...or download as MP3 [1] [2] [3]

Weighing the Atmosphere


Find out how hard a vacuum cleaner can suck, what this has got to do with air pressure and discover how this helps us suck.
(c) Dave Ansell
Part 1 Part 2 Listen
...or download as MP3 [1] [2]

Fizzy Acids - what happens when you carbonate water


Discover what happens when you make water fizzy, why it then tastes so tangy and why this could cause problems for shellfish.
(c) Dave Ansell
Part 1 Part 2 Listen
...or download as MP3 [1] [2]

Why do wheels work?


The wheel is something we have been taking for granted for the last 7000 years, but why is it so effective?
(c) Dave Ansell
Part 1 Part 2 Listen
...or download as MP3 [1] [2]

Pumping Straw - a centrifugal pump


Make a pump out of a straw and a skewer and soak all your friends.

Liquid Nitrogen Bomb


One thing you should never do to liquid nitrogen is to seal it in a pressure vessel.... so we had a go.
(c) Dave Ansell
Part 1 Part 2 Listen
...or download as MP3 [1] [2]

Disappearing monitors - the power of polarisation


If you have ever wanted to know how to make something on your computer screen disappear then find out here. Also find out why you should use polarised sunglasses and how an LCD monitor works.
(c) Dave Ansell
Part 1 Part 2 Listen
...or download as MP3 [1] [2]

The Gherkinator


Have you ever wondered what would happen if you passed mains electricity through a gherkin? It is an illuminating experience.
(c) Dave Ansell
 

A cornflour monster


This is a really strange effect only discovered about 6 years ago. Basically it involves shaking cornflour mixture very hard and it starts to grow tendrils, in a very 1950's B-movie way.

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