Mixing It Up With Mad Science

This week Mad Science visited our school to present some chemistry workshops.  Dr. Shrink was our mad scientist.  She had visited us last year for a dinosaur workshop.  Many of our returning students remembered her and were happy to see her again.

Dr. Shrink began with an empty beaker and two large ziplock bags of packing peanuts.  She asked for a volunteer to fill the beaker with as many peanuts as possible. 

Our trusty volunteer began filling the beaker. 

P. volunteered.

When it was full, Dr. Shrink asked if the beaker could hold more peanuts.  Everyone said no.  Dr. Shrink poured a magic liquid (nail polish remover) over the packing peanuts.  The packing peanuts began to shrink!

Adding The Magic Liquid

She then put a full ziplock bag of packing peanuts into the beaker.

The packing peanuts are shrinking.

  
In the end, all that was left was a pile of goo.  Amazing!

The Leftover Goo

Dr. Shrink gave the children an opportunity to do a little chemistry.  She gave groups of children a plate with cabbage juice and some clear (safe)  liquids .  The children used a dropper to squeeze some cabbage juice into the clear liquids.

The children were amazed when the cabbage juice reacted with the clear liquids and the liquids changed colour.

The children got a chance to mix up their own crazy dough to take home.  They mixed flour, water, oil and salt together along with some food colouring.

At the end of the presentation, Dr. Shrink asked "How cool is chemistry?"  The children responded with a resounding "Awesome!".  Thank you Dr. Shrink.  We had a fantastic morning!