How does a nail change as it is driven into a board?

How does a nail change as it is driven into a board?

Materials Needed

• · Hammer
• · Nail, at least 5cm (2 in.) long
• · Board, at least 4 cm (1 1/12 in.) thick
• · Pounding surface

Procedure

1. Place the board on a good pounding surface such as another board, a stack of newspapers, or concrete.
2. Pound the nail at least 2.5 cm (1 in.) into the board. Do not pound it all the way in.
3. As soon as you stop pounding, feel the nail. What difference do you notice in the nail?
4. Pull the nail out of the board with the hammer.
5. As soon as you get the nail out of the board, feel it again.
6. What difference do you notice in the nail by feeling it? What can you say about this?

For problem solvers: 

rib your hands together, hard and fast. Do you feel a temperature change? How is this similar to what you experienced with the nail in the above activity?

Teacher information

As the nail is pounded into the board, some of the energy from the hammer is changed to heat energy due to friction between the nail and the board. As the nail is removed from the board, friction again changes some of the energy to heat. If the nail is pulled out quickly, the heat might be even more noticeable than when it was pounded in.

Teacher information

As the nail is pounded into the board, some of the energy form the hammer is changed to heat energy due to friction between the nail and the board. As the nail is pulled out quickly, the heat might be even more noticeable than when it was pounded in.

What happens to gases as they are heated and cooled?

What happens to gases as they are heated and cooled?

Materials needed

• Narrow necked jar with one whole stopper
• Balloon stick (available from cart or party supply stores)
• water

Procedure

1. Put a small amount of water in the bottom of the jar.
2. Insert the plastic tube through the stopper
3. Place the stopper in the jar. The lower and of the tube must be in the water.
4. Notice the water level in the tube.
5. Place the jar in a window in direct sunlight.
6. Check the water level in the tube every three or four minutes for at least one half hour.
7. What happened to the water level as the air warmed in the sunlight? Why?
8. Remove the jar from the sunlight and place it in cool place.
9. Again check the water level in the tube every few minutes.
10. What happened to the water level as the air cooled? Why?
11. What can you say about the effect of temperature change on gases?

For the problems solvers: 

blow up a balloon and measure the distance around it with a string. Mark the string to show the length required to reach around the balloon. Place the balloon over heat vent in front of a heater for a few minutes. Use the same string to measure the distance around the balloon again. Is there a difference? Can you explain why?
Learn what you can about hot balloons. Why do they rise into the air? Why do they come down again? Do balloon pilots usually fly their ships in the cool air of morning or in the heat of the afternoon? Why?

Teacher Information

This activity is very similar to activity 2.11, but this time the changes in water level in the tube are caused by expansion and contraction of air within the jar instead of expansion and contraction of liquid. As the air in the jar warms in the sunlight, it will expand, forcing water up the tube and very likely spilling it out the top of the tube, demonstrating that as the temperature of gas increases, the gas expands. At the air cools, it will contract and the level of the water in the tube will drop.
If food coloring is available, add a few drops to the water to make the water level in the tube more visible. This is a type of thermometer.

What happens to liquids as they are heated and cooled?

What happens to liquids as they are heated and cooled?

Materials needed

• · Narrow-necked jar with a one whole rubber stopper.
• Balloon stick (available from craft or party supply stores)
• · Marker, rubber band, or masking tape
• · Water

Procedure

1. Fill the jar completely with cold water.
2. Insert the plastic tubing through the rubber stopper.
3. Place the stopper in the jar. As you press the stopper into place, three should be no air space beneath the stopper, and water should be force part way (not more than half way) up the tube above the stopper.
4. Mark the tube at the water level with a marker, or by a putting a rubber band or tape around it.
5. Place the jar in a window in direct sunlight.
6. Check the water level in the tube every few minutes for at least two hours.
7. What happened to the water level as the water warmed in the sunlight?
8. Remove the jar from the sunlight and place it in a cool place.
9. Again check the water level in the tube every few minutes.
10. What happened to the water level as the water cooled?
11. What can you say about the effect of temperature change on liquids?

For problems solvers:

if a motorist goes to the filling station on a hot day and fills the fuel tank clear to the brim, then sparks the vehicle in the sun for two or three hours, sometimes tank will overflow and spill fuel onto the ground. Think about the above activity and see if you can explain why the tank overflows. The manager at your local filling station would probably be glad to discuss to it with you if you have any questions or if you‘d just like to find out if your explanation is correct. Any experienced truck driver could also discuss it with you.

Teacher information

The ideal tube for this activity is a balloon stick, available at party supply outlets.
As the jar of water warms in the sunlight, the water will expand and the water level will expand and the water level will rise in the tube, demonstrating that as the temperature of liquid increases the liquid expands.
As the water cools it will contract, and the level of the water in the tube will drop.
If food coloring is available, have students add a few drops to the drops to the water. This makes the water level in the tube easier to see, and the change is more evident.
This device can become a thermometer if you have students attach a card to the tube and mark the card at different temperatures, by taking temperature readings from a commercial thermometer. Water evaporation in the tube will eventually destroy the accuracy of it as a thermometer and it will need to be re calibrated.
Filling stations store gasoline in large tanks beneath the ground. Thus, the fuel is cool. if a motorist fills the tank, then parks the vehicle in the sun for a time, the fuel will expand from the heat and will sometimes overflow onto the ground.

What happens to solids as they are heated and cooled?

What happens to solids as they are heated and cooled?

Materials needed

• ·         Wire, about  1 m (1 yd.) long
•               Large nail or small bolt

• ·            Candle

• ·             Match

Procedure

1.   Wrap one end of the wire around the nail and anchor the other end to a support. Adjust the wire so the nail swings freely but barely missies the table or floor.

      2.       Light the candle and heat the wire. 
      3.       Observe the nail. What happened?
      4.       Remove the candle and allow the wire to cool.          
      5.   Observe the nail. What happened?

6.       What can you say about the effect of heat on solids?

For problems solvers: 

did you ever notice how hard it is to remove the ring from a jar of fruit? Try running hot water over the lid, and then remove it. What do you think makes the difference?

Why are sidewalks made with joints every few feet? See what you can learn about expansion joints. See if you can find expansion joints as you drive across over passes or bridges on the highway. Why are these joints built into the bridge? Try to find expansion joints in large buildings.

If you know an automobile mechanic, ask him or her why wheel bearings are sometimes installed on axles when they are very hot.

How do molecules behave when heated?

How do molecules behave when heated? 

Materials needed

• Chalk or masking tape

Procedure

1. Have several students stand in a group.
2. Mark a border on the floor around the group with chalk or tape. Leave a few inches between the group and the border all the way around.
3. Ask students to move around slowly. Everyone should move constantly, but no one should move fast and there should be no pushing and shoving. They are to try to stay within the border marked on the floor.
4. Now instruct those in the group to move a bit faster. They are still to try to stay within the border.
5. Continue speeding up the movement of the group until they can no longer remain within the line marked on the floor.
6. Discuss what happened as those in the group increased their speed. Ask how this relates to the movement of molecules as temperature is increased.

Research based Chemistry Science Fair Projects

Biogas From Jatropha Seed Cake
King's Christian Collegiate  -  Oak-ville, ON
Transport Canada Summa Cum Laude Award -  $500.00
View Project:  virtualsciencefair.org/2010/spanxj2
Abstract: This project is focused on digesting jatropha seed cake through anaerobic digestion to produce bio gas. This brings the production of bio diesel from jatropha full circle. The variable in this experiment is the amount seed cake mass opposed to the mass of the cow dung that is used as an activator. Various mixtures of jatropha and cow dung are to be hooked up to anaerobic digester system.
Project Number: 4638	Grades: 10-12   Chemistry
Comments: Spelling error on one button.    A lot of thought, preparation, innovation and hard work are evident in this project. Very attractive and engaging site. Excellent work!
Burning Calories
Clavet Composite School  -  Clavet, SK
University of Regina - Faculty of Science Summa Cum Laude Award -  $300.00 Primary Fluid Systems " Best in School" Award - $50.00
View Project:  virtualsciencefair.org/2010/nogixn2
Abstract: I burned different foods and captured the heat given off in a homemade calorimeter to determine which food contained the most chemical energy and calories.
Project Number: 4957	Grades: 7-9   Chemistry
Comments: Great use of photographs. Maybe your header "Burning Calories" could have been a bit smaller. No live links please.    Your data is well documented and the pictures clarify your project.
Freezing Substances
Clavet Composite School  -  Clavet, SK
ISM Canada Magna Cum Laude Award -  $50.00
View Project:  virtualsciencefair.org/2010/giesxb2
Abstract: I will be freezing substances at room temperature and freezing the same substances at 90 degrees Celsius to determine which takes the longest to freeze.
Project Number: 4956	Grades: 7-9   Chemistry
Comments:   Your scientific process is well detailed and your web site is very user friendly.