Things are heating up

Get in the science fair state of mind with this exothermic experiment

Ireceived some great news this week and I just cannot wait to share it with all of my favorite young scientists out there!

It looks like we should be able to have a Regional

Science Fair this school year (Spring 2021). For a person completely obsessed with science, this is the best news I could possibly hear. Of course, it will be a virtual science fair, but many of us are getting used to this “new normal” in the world of learning.

Although I may not be able to see your projects up close at your school, I am excited that I will still get to see your projects.

Please do not worry, it is not too late, there is still plenty of time to get started. In the spirit of getting you started and thinking about a great science fair project, I thought I could share a great activity for those first time science fair participants. Let’s get started!

Remember to ask an adult before doing this experiment.

Materials

— Zipper baggie

—Water

— Measuring cup — Measuring spoons — Calcium chloride (found in the spice/canning section at the grocery store)

—Iron filings (can be found at the hardware store)

— Jelly crystals (used to keep flowers moist)

Procedure

1. You need to plan ahead a little bit by hydrating the jelly crystals in about 250 mL (one cup) of water for a few hours, or overnight is best. You will need enough to fill the baggie about one-quarter full. In my experience, this is about 60 mL (four tablespoons) of them in their dry form.

2. Once the jelly crystals are hydrated, add 15 mL (one tablespoon) of iron filings

AND 15 mL (one tablespoon) of calcium chloride into the baggie.

3. Zip the baggie up WELL and gently mix everything together by rubbing it back and forth through your fingers.

4. As part of the scientific method, make some observations using your senses. Do you see anything happening? Do you feel anything happening?

What is going on?

You should have felt this mixture getting quite warm! This is because you created an EXOTHERMIC reaction. When you added the calcium chloride to the jelly crystals (which were still quite wet), it allowed for the iron filings to start oxidizing and releasing heat which you could easily feel on your fingers and in your hand.

If you want to make this your own science fair project, think about manipulating one of the variables and seeing if this affects your results. If you have the resources, it would be nice to know the temperature of this reaction by using a digital or infrared thermometer (purchased at hardware stores). How about if you manipulate, or change, the amount of jelly crystals used. Does this affect the temperature? Perhaps adding more or less iron filings will make a difference? The sky is the limit really. If you need help or want more information about science fair, never hesitate to reach out to Praxis — we are here to help you!

Patty Rooks, Senior

Scientific Consultant PRAXIS, “Connecting Science To The Community”. Contact Praxis at praxis@praxismh.ca, www. praxismh.ca, Tweet or follow us @PraxisMedHat, or friend us on Facebook. Address: #12 826 11 Street S. E., Medicine Hat, Alberta, T1A 1T7 Phone: 403.527.5365, email: praxis@ praxismh.ca.