More Chemical Changes

While studying chemical changes, we did another experiement using corn, baking soda, and vinegar.

  We dropped the kernals of corn into a cup of vinegar.  We then poured the baking soda into the cup.  When the vinegar and baking soda were mixed together, a chemical reaction occured between the  acid in vinegar and sodium in baking soda. This caused a release of chemical energy and the formation of carbon dioxide. The gas bubbles that formed adhered to the outside of the popcorn kernels and raised them to the surface of the vinegar. This happened because the kernels and bubbles together had a lower density than water and thus rose to the surface of the liquid. At the surface the gas bubbles burst, releasing the carbon dioxide into the air. Once the bubbles had burst, the density of the kernel was once again greater than that of water and the kernel fell towards the bottom of the glass. This cycle repeated itself over and over.  It was so much fun to watch.

 

What a Shock!!

In October we went back to one of our favorite camp grounds.  We have spent so much time at this particular state park, so we were shocked when we arrived to find nothing but dry land in places where we usually swim, fish, and canoe....not to mention very low water levels everywhere else!!

This is an area that the kids often swim in...right at our favorite site!

The beach...there is usually water all the way to the trees!!!  All of the brown is the swimming area, not the beach!!

 This is one of our favorite fishing spots...all dried up!!

As usual, we enjoyed some geocaching...low water didn't get in the way of that!! 

I'm so glad that my niece, Kinley, loves going camping with us.  We have started letting the kids take turns taking a friend with us.  I'm just glad that not only do our kids enjoy camping, but that they have friends that love to go with us as well!

Chemical and Physical Changes

Chemical Change

Pennies get dull over time because the copper in them reacts with the air to form copper oxide.  Pure copper metal is bright and shiny, but the oxide is dull and has a green color.  When we placed the pennies the a salt and lemon juice solution, the acid from the lemon juice dissolved the copper oxide, resulting in a clean, shiny penny. When we were finished with this, Carter was ready to clean all of his pennies!

Physical Changes

I worked on these things with both Madison and Carter this past school year, even though I had separated the kids' science and history.  It was harder doing a separate thing for each one of them because it required a lot more one on one.  The great thing was that even though there are three years between Madison and Carter's grades, they were covering the same stuff....Madison's just went a bit deeper.  She was taking Biology, and Carter  Life Science.  I have actually gone through this entire Life Science course with all of the kids together, but I wanted to cover it with Carter alone since he was younger when we did it and since it was what he was supposed to be doing at his grade level.  It worked out well and helped cut down on the one on one.  They also enjoy the hands-on things more when there is someone else to enjoy them with besides me!