Chemistry isn't boring!

Chemistry- Fun, Facts, and Things To Do

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 So enough with the thoughts that chemistry is just all about elements and brain draining ideas,see how fun it is.

Listed below are some fun things to think about and some fun things to do.

• Consider the shape and design of the atom. It has a center (nucleus), some space and then an outer layer (the electrons). Look at all of the examples in nature that follow that design. How about the earth with it’s core, mantle and crust? How about the solar system with it’s sun, planets and stars? Think about Saturn, a planet, space and rings. An egg has the yolk, white and shell and cells have nucleus, cytoplasm and membrane. Can your child think of more examples?
• Discuss with your child the fact that you already conduct chemistry experiments everyday by cooking (liquid to gas) when boiling water (or sometimes in my case, liquid to that nasty black stuff at the bottom of the pan). When we boil an egg, it turns from a liquid to a solid!
• Have your child draw an atom and label it. Repetition is the key to remembering all these terms.
• Have older kids write a story about shrinking down to the size of an atom. Think of all the things they could do, and could not do.
• Talk about subatomic particles. What are they, you ask. The word sounds confusing, but it’s not. A subatomic particle is just the individual pieces of an atom. The electron, proton and neutron are all subatomic particles.
• Scientists believe that 90% of the entire universe is made up of two types of elements: hydrogen and helium!
• The plant hydrangeas only produce pink or white flowers in an alkaline soil, and blue flowers in an acidic soil. Now would be a great time to make that acid/ alkalis dyed T-shirt. Follow this link for instructions and a detailed explanation of how it works.http://www.themestream.com/articles.1692...
• Ants are very acidic.....so are tea leaves. If you ever get lost in the woods, don’t eat too many ants, or you will suffer from acid indigestion!
• Neon is not just a nifty type of color, it’s an element. Neon is used in lots of those advertisement signs that glow.
• Helium is used in birthday party balloons, weather balloons and in blimps. Helium is lighter than our air, so it floats!
• Your body is made of 65% oxygen, 18% carbon, 10% hydrogen, 3% nitrogen, 1.5% calcium 1% phosphorus and 1% of 6 other elements.
• The capital of Minnesota is St. Paul. Sorry, just making sure you are paying attention.
• Have the little ones make their own mixture. They can mix pretzels, raisins and grapes.