VanCleave's Science Fun

Your Guide to Science Projects, Fun Experiments, and Science Research

Archives for 2010

Senses: Taste

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I love the taste of lemons. When I was a kid, one of my favorite things to do was to read comic books and eat lemons. Sometimes I ate rind and all. I prepared each lemon by squeezing them so that the juice comes out easily. My technique for preparing my lemons was to place […]

Hypothesis

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A hypothesis is something that everyone gives multiple times each day, but few people can explain what a hypothesis is. Hypotheses are often called “educated guesses.” This means that you have enough experiences and knowledge to figure out the answer to a problem. A hypothesis can also be defined as a prediction about the outcome […]

Tongue: Taste Buds

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Free science experiment about taste buds for kindergarten and younger. Link to free science experiment ideas about taste buds for elementary and/or middle school.

Forces: Balanced vs. Unbalanced

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Have you ever played tug-of-war? Was there an oozing mud puddle separating the two teams? If so, the people at the ends of the rope wanted to win by pulling the other team into the mud, but not at much as the people next to the mud puddle. It will be these people that fall […]

Polymers

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Don’t let the term polymer scare you. Making polymers is great fun, but a bit messy. Even so, it is worth it. It you have not made Slime using glue and borax, you are in for a treat. If you have made it, try adding a secret ingredient so that it fluoresces. OOPS! Another one of […]

Mass vs. Weight

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The difference between mass and weight is often difficult to explain. I have created two diagrams that I think will help. First, let’s compare the mass and the weight of a box on Earth. Since mass is defined as the amount of matter that something is made up, I decided to identify the amount of […]

DNA Extraction: Human

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DNA from Human Cheek Cells This video not only gives you detailed instructions for separating DNA from human cheek cells, but there is a graphic explanation of the process. Note: 1. Eight grams of table salt is about three-fourth teaspoon. 2. Use salt without Iodine.

Magnetosphere

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Question: What and where is Earth’s Magnetosphere? Answer: The Earth has a magnetic field surrounding it with properties much like those of the area surrounding a bar magnet. The photo below shows iron filings tracing out the bar magnet’s lines of the magnetic force. The drawing to the right shows lines for Earth’s magnetic field. […]