Baking Soda & Vinegar Volcano

Use baking soda and vinegar to create an awesome chemical reaction! Watch as it rapidly fizzes over the container and make sure you've got some towels ready to clean up.



What you'll need:

Baking Soda (make sure it's not baking powder)
Vinegar
A container to hold everything and avoid a big mess!
Paper towels or a cloth (just in case)



Instructions:

Place some of the baking soda into your container.
Pour in some of the vinegar
Watch as the reaction takes place!


What's happening?

The baking soda (sodium bicarbonate) is a base while the vinegar (acetic acid) is an acid. When they react together they form carbonic acid which is very unstable, it instantly breaks apart into water and carbon dioxide, which creates all the fizzing as it escapes the solution.

For extra effect you can make a realistic looking volcano. It takes some craft skills but it will make your vinegar and baking soda eruptions will look even more impressive!

Submitted By Sajjad Iqbal

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Make a Tornado in a Bottle

Learn how to make a tornado in a bottle with this fun science experiment for kids. Using easy to find items such as dish washing liquid, water, glitter and a bottle you can make your own mini tornado that’s a lot safer than one you might see on the weather channel. Follow the instructions and enjoy the cool water vortex you create!


What you'll need:

Water
A clear plastic bottle with a cap (that won't leak)
Glitter
Dish washing liquid



Instructions:

Fill the plastic bottle with water until it reaches around three quarters full.
Add a few drops of dish washing liquid.
Sprinkle in a few pinches of glitter (this will make your tornado easier to see).
Put the cap on tightly.
Turn the bottle upside down and hold it by the neck. Quickly spin the bottle in a circular motion for a few seconds, stop and look inside to see if you can see a mini tornado forming in the water. You might need to try it a few times before you get it working properly.


What's happening?

Spinning the bottle in a circular motion creates a water vortex that looks like a mini tornado. The water is rapidly spinning around the center of the vortex due to centripetal force (an inward force directing an object or fluid such as water towards the center of its circular path). Vortexes found in nature include tornadoes, hurricanes and waterspouts (a tornado that forms over water).

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Invisible Ink with Lemon Juice

Making invisible ink is a lot of fun, you can pretend you are a secret agent as you keep all your secret codes and messages hidden from others. All you need is some basic household objects and the hidden power of lemon juice.



What you'll need:

Half a lemon
Water
Spoon
Bowl
Cotton bud
White paper
Lamp or other light bulb


Instructions:

Squeeze some lemon juice into the bowl and add a few drops of water.
Mix the water and lemon juice with the spoon.
Dip the cotton bud into the mixture and write a message onto the white paper.
Wait for the juice to dry so it becomes completely invisible.
When you are ready to read your secret message or show it to someone else, heat the paper by holding it close to a light bulb.


What's happening?

Lemon juice is an organic substance that oxidizes and turns brown when heated. Diluting the lemon juice in water makes it very hard to notice when you apply it the paper, no one will be aware of its presence until it is heated and the secret message is revealed. Other substances which work in the same way include orange juice, honey, milk, onion juice, vinegar and wine. Invisible ink can also be made using chemical reactions or by viewing certain liquids under ultraviolet (UV) light.

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Television Facts

Television is a popular technology that allows us to watch our favorite TV shows on screen.


Television sets receive and display broadcasts of moving images.

Televisions also produce sound through speakers.

The images on a TV screen refresh fast enough to appear as smooth motion to the human eye.

Televisions first went on sale in the late 1920’s.

Early television was displayed in black and white.

Although the technology was developed earlier, color television sets didn’t become widespread until the 1970’s.

The 1980’s saw the arrival of remote controls.

Television sets are also used to watch DVD’s and Blu-ray discs, as well as play video games through the use of a console.

Video cassettes were used before DVD’s and Blu-ray discs but have been phased out in favor of new
technology since the late 1990’s.

Early monitors used cathode ray tubes (CRT) but they have since been replaced by thinner screens that use liquid crystal display (LCD) and plasma.

Similar to radio, television broadcasts are transmitted at specific frequencies.

More recently there has been a change from analog transmissions to digital. The 0’s and 1’s of a digital transmission are like the information stored in a computer, making them more reliable than traditional analog broadcasts.

Television broadcasts feature a wide range of programming, everything from news to sports, documentaries, sitcoms, reality TV, drama, movies and commercials.

The most watched TV broadcasts are typically global events such as the Olympics and Football World Cup.

Broadcasting companies use commercials and subscriptions to earn revenue and pay for the costs of production.

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Fun Tiger Facts for Kids

Enjoy these fun tiger facts for kids. Learn about different types of tigers, how big they are, how fast they run, how they hunt and more.

Check out the wide range of interesting facts about tigers and their cubs.

The tiger is the biggest species of the cat family.

Tigers can reach a length of up to 3.3 metres (11 feet) and weigh as much as 300 kilograms (660 pounds).

Subspecies of the tiger include the Sumatran Tiger, Siberian Tiger, Bengal Tiger, South China Tiger, Malayan Tiger and Indochinese Tiger.

Many subspecies of the tiger are either endangered or already extinct. Humans are the primary cause of this through hunting and the destruction of habitats.

Around half of tiger cubs don’t live beyond two years of age.

Tiger cubs leave their mother when they are around 2 years of age.

A group of tigers is known as an ‘ambush’ or ‘streak’.

Tigers are good swimmers and can swim up to 6 kilometres.

Rare white tigers carry a gene that is only present in around 1 in every 10000 tigers.

Tigers usually hunt alone at night time.

Tigers have been known to reach speeds up to 65 kph (40 mph).

Less than 10% of hunts end successfully for tigers

Tigers can easily jump over 5 metres in length.

Various tiger subspecies are the national animals of Bangladesh, India, North Korea, South Korea and Malaysia.

There are more tigers held privately as pets than there are in the wild.

Tigers that breed with lions give birth to hybrids known as tigons and ligers.

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Facts About Dogs

In total there is said to be around 400 million dogs in the world.

The domestic dog has been one of the most popular working and companion animals throughout human history.

Dogs perform many useful tasks for humans including hunting, farm work and security as well as assisting those with disabilities such as the blind.

Although experts often disagree, there is scientific evidence which shows that the domestication of dogs could have occurred more than 15,000 years ago.

There are hundreds of different breeds of dogs.

Examples of these breeds include: Bulldog, German Shepherd, Collie, Golden Retriever, St Bernard, Greyhound, Bloodhound, Chihuahua, Labrador, Great Dane, Rottweiler, Boxer and Cocker Spaniel.

The most popular breed of dog in the world by registered ownership is the Labrador. With their gentle nature, obedience, intelligence and near limitless energy, Labradors make for excellent family pets and reliable workers. They often assist police and are a common choice as guide dogs.

Dogs have formed such a strong bond as pets, workers and companions to humans that they have earned the nickname "man's best friend".

Humans help train various dog breeds to enter in competitions such as breed shows, agility and obedience contests, racing and sled pulling.

Dog have superior hearing than humans, capable of hearing sounds at four times the distance.

Dogs have a remarkable sense of smell, they are capable of differentiating odors in concentrations nearly 100 million times lower than humans can.

The average life span for a dog is around 10 to 14 years.

Those involved in dog breeding refer to males as ‘dogs’, females as ‘bitches’, dogs younger than a year old as ‘puppies’ and a group of offspring as a ‘litter’.

Domestic dogs are omnivores, they feed on a variety of foods including grains, vegetables and meats.

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