Coin Drop Experiment

 We were learning about Newton's first law of motion. Which is has to do with Inertia (laziness). If something is at rest it will stay at rest until some force causes it to move. The other part of The first law of motion is that if something is moving it will stay moving at the same speed in the same direction until something causes it to stop.

I observed that it was easier to make the coins fall into the glass gar if there were more coins on the piece of paper. I think this was because there was more weight so the coins were less likely to move when you flicked the paper. The angle of the way you flicked the paper was important too, if you flicked from the bottom the coins were more likely to fall off than if you flicked the side, lots of little flicks was a better tactic then one powerful flick.

Next time I wonder what would happen if we used two dollar coins instead of ten and twenty cent coins. I predict that we will have to use a thicker paper so that the coins don't slip through and fall into the glass without you flicking it.

Cold Air Balloon Observation Part Two

 We were learning about what would happen if we used more vinegar and more baking soda in the experiment. We used eight tbsp of baking soda and four cups of vinegar, the bottle we used was a milk one. The neck of bottle was to wide though so when the balloon filled up it split at the neck and liquid spewed everywhere.

What happened was the balloon was too small to fit over the larger bottle and kept ripping. On the second attempt it help with a small spilt. The reaction was so powerful it began to fill the balloon with liquid. This made the balloon tip, the reaction continued spewing out of the top of the bottle with quite considerable force. The liquid that spilled onto the concrete felt cold to the touch. This was the endothermic reaction. 

I observed that if we had a taller, skinnier bottle and a bigger, tougher balloon then the experiment might work a bit better and we could find out what would actually happen if we used all the ingredients that we did.  

Next time I wonder what would happen if we used a long, skinny balloon as well as a long skinny bottle. I predict that if we use a long skinny balloon it might fill up quicker and burst sooner.

Cold Air Balloon Observation Part One

We were learning about what an endothermic reaction is. We created one by making a cold air balloon, you can make this by using a balloon, a bottle, vinegar, a measuring cup and a tablespoon. This is how you create it: Use the funnel and add a tablespoon or two of baking soda into the balloon. Wipe any baking soda from the funnel and place it into the bottle. Pour about a half a cup of vinegar into the bottle. Fit the balloon over the opening of the bottle making sure no baking soda falls inside. Now lift the balloon and let the baking soda fall and mix with the vinegar. Observe as you Cold Air Balloon inflates then feel the bottom of the bottle, it will be cold.

What happened? When vinegar and baking soda mix, an endothermic reaction occurs. This produces carbon dioxide which inflates the balloon. The endothermic chemical reaction will also lower the temperature in the area surrounding the vinegar and baking soda so significantly that you will be able to easily notice the change in temperature.

I observed that when the baking soda and the vinegar mixed together it created carbon dioxide bubbles that raised the air pressure causing the balloon to inflate. Lowering the temperature.

Next time I will try and make the balloon explode, because this time the balloon only inflated and didn't actually blow up. I think I could make this happen by adding more baking soda and more vinegar.  

Balloon Madness Observations

We were learning about Newton's Laws of Motion, we focussing on the third law - 'for every action there is an equal or opposite reaction.' We tested this law by creating a balloon rocket. To create the rocket we taped a balloon to a straw then treading a long bit of string though the straw.  

What happened? When we release the balloon, the pressurized air in the balloon pushes against the air around the balloon sending it in the opposite direction down the string.

I found it easy to to understand what was happening and to find lots of different ways to change the experiment up a bit. One time I got the members of my science group to hold it high at one end and low at the other, I also got them to shake the string while the balloon was traveling along.   

I found it challenging to do nothing as this project was quite easy, the only thing that was tricky was getting this blog post done before the deadline, because I had lots of other things to do so it just slipped out of my mind. But that's not really related to the actual observation. 

Next time I will try tapping into some aerodynamics, to make the balloon move faster or on more of an angle. We did part one of another observation before this one, but as we did only the first part I will not talk about it on this blog post. 

Reading Survival Kit Poster

We were learning about Tsunamis in our reading this week, using our multi-model reading slides me and my reading group, Waikanae have over three online books and one National Geographic video. This week our main text was called the Hungry Wave.    

 

I found it easy to choose what would go in my survival kit, such as water, canned food, a radio and a first aid kit. Basically all the essentials, The other thing I found easy was to polyline all the things in my poster because all the things were pretty basic, or I just had to duplicate it until there was enough.

I found it challenging to use just the right amount of words so it was not a whole descriptive story, but not so little that it was only a few words and didn't tell you anything at all. I ended up with quite a few thought bubbles but in each one there was around about the right amount of words.

Next time I will try to add more detail to my bag so it looks like it could hold more and is even more impressive compared to how it is now. Another thing I could work on is having more pockets showing on the bag so all of the necessities that I polylined aren't all sticking out the top.   

Persuasive Writing Publishing

We were learning about creating pieces of persuasive writing. Our topic was is it important to be prepared for a natural disaster. I believe that there is absolutely no point in being prepared for a natural disaster because one could happen at any time, no matter what plan you had.  

I found it easy to add emotive language and create a conclusion that left the reader's mind whirling and confused, strung between their original opinion and mine. If you don't believe me take a peek at my writing. The other thing I found easy was to create a title that hooked the reader in (see my second slide).    

I found it challenging to find evidence to support my opinion because most of the websites that I found were all about how to be prepared for a natural disaster, not why there is no point in being prepared! I ended up searching the web, and found some pretty good results, including one from Wikipedia. 

Next time I will treat my writing like it is a piece of writing, not like it is an inquiry. A lot of my writing sounded like it was part of the inquiry we were doing in the afternoon, so I ended up deleting quite a bit. I now have a paragraph that is barely three lines long!  

Milk Explosion Observation

We were learning about molecules - fatty acids, soap & minerals. The experiment that went along with this subject was to pour milk into a bowl then a few drops of different colored food coloring. We then dipped a cotton bud into some soap, completely saturating it. Once we had done that we dipped the cotton but into the pool of milk to see the reaction, which was that the food coloring retreated from the soap.   

I found it hard to do nothing really but I found it slightly difficult to get all the ingredients in the right place so the reaction was as impressive as it could be. I ended up getting the food coloring almost anywhere but the middle which was where I was aiming for! 

I found it easy to understand the reaction because I had done this last year for my surface tension experiment. The soapy cotton bud  broke the surface tension, causing the food coloring to recede rapidly.   

I really enjoyed watching the reaction between the soapy chemicals and the fatty acids and minerals. The color was mesmerizing, it melded at the end creating a sort of bluey green. 

Next time I will include my buddy group a bit more, ask them some questions and request their opinion. After all three minds are better than one! I can't do everything myself can I?