VanCleave's Science Fun

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

Accuracy vs. Precision

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The diagram shows green and red arrows stuck into a target. The archers each shot five arrows. Which archer, red or green, demonstrated more accuracy? Think: 1. The objective is to hit the bull’s eye of the target, which is the center black circle. 2. The archer with the best accuracy hits the bull’s eye […]

Chia Seeds: Physical Properties

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Investigation of Physical Properties Objective: To observe and describe the physical properties of both dry and wet Chia seeds. Science Terms: hydration– to fill with waterphysical properties– Characteristics used to identify something; physical properties include: color, size, shape and texture.relative size- A comparison of the size of an object to something with a familiar size; as big […]

Snow Globe Activity

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Question: Why does “snow” in snow globes fall slowly? Answer: The “snow” can be plastic glitter or some even use finely ground egg shells. What ever is used for snow, it must be able to fall through the fluid that fills the jar (the globe). Fluid is a term used for a gas or a […]

Growing Chia Seeds

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Chia Planters These are forms made with the same clay as clay flower pots are made of .  I wonder…Will chia seeds grow on pieces of clay pots? Let’s Find Out! Materialssmall bowl1/4 cup (63 mL) measuring cuptap water2 teaspoons (10mL) Chia seedscontainerbroken pottery pieces (nurseries might provide the broken pieces of clay pottery)misting bottle […]

Shapes Cut From Homemade Dough

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One way to introduce different shapes is to cut shapes from dough using cookie-cutters. The shapes shown are cut from a spicy dough made by mixing 1-cup of applesauce, 1-cup of cinnamon, and 2 tablespoons of white liquid glue (Elmer’s glue). What to Do 1. Combine the applesauce, cinnamon, and glue in a bowl. Stir […]

Physical Properties of Spicy Christmas Ornaments

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Applesauce and cinnamon are so aromatic, which means they have a very strong smell. Another way to say this is that they have a very distinctive fragrance. The Christmas ornaments shown are made with applesauce, cinnamon, and glue. For detailed instructions, see: Spicy Christmas Ornaments Applesauce and cinnamon also have distinctive tastes. Thus, while using […]

Bird Feeder

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I love to watch the birds flutter and prance around outside my office window. One of my bird feeders looks like a house and has a platform between the two end feeding containers. Every once in a while one of my cats manages to jump onto the platform and crouch down. She gives herself away […]

Jöns Joseph Berzelius

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Jöns Joseph Berzelius Berzelius studied many different branches of chemistry and is credited with originating these chemical terms:  catalysis, polymer, isomer and allotrope. But, his definitions of these terms is very different from that given today. He discovered three chemical elements-cerium, selenium, and thorium-and was the first to isolate the elements  silicon, zirconium, and titanium. […]