VanCleave's Science Fun

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

Science Fair Projects: Rock Candy

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I want to do a science fair project about rock candy. How do I get started? Answer: There are FOUR basic steps for starting any science fair project. Step 1. Select a topic: Step 2. Find a Descriptive Experiment about the Topic: A descriptive experiment is an exploratory experiment which give instructions for investigating something […]

Table Salts

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The term salt in reference to seasoning of food mainly refers to sodium chloride or more commonly called table salt. There are two sources of table salt: 1. Mined Salt This salt is harvested by forcing water into a mine to create brine (salt/water mix). The brine is then evaporated leaving cubes of salt. Mined salt […]

Green Fluorescent Protein

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I seem to be a bit behind in learning about fluorescent animals. Yes, I knew that jellyfish and other sea organisms can glow, but a green fluorescent pig, a potato plant that glows green when it needs water, and red fluorescent kittens!!! Yikes! I would very much like to have plants that glowed when I […]

Physics: Friction

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The Italian scientist Galileo  Galilei (1564-1642) reasoned that things eventually stop because of a retarding force. He thought that without this force, objects just kept on doing whatever they were doing. In other words, if an object is moving, it would keep on moving. Unlike most scientists of his day, Galileo based his conclusions on […]

Science Fair Projects: Models

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Notes from Janice’s Desk I received an email from a mom who referenced the note with “Desperate MOM-Please Help Me. This frantic mom was in a panic over her son’s science assignment.  It was to be a parent/child project.  I wondered how difficult an assignment kindergarten kids could be. At my request, she faxed the […]

Adhesion

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Question: Why is syrup sticky? Answer: Cohesion is the force between like molecules, such as between two water molecules or between molecules in syrup. One syrup molecule sticks to another syrup molecule because of cohesion. If you want to know why syrup sticks to your fingers, it is because of adhesion, which is the force […]

Biology: Seed Dispersal

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I have painful memories of walking barefoot through what appeared to be a field of soft grass. Some of the grass had produced sharp pointed fruit. While the spikes on some of the fresh burr fruit were not as stiff, they still were able to penetrate the tough skin on my feet. As the fruit […]

Physics: Newton’s Second Law of Motion

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The photo shows two groups, each pulling in a different direction on a rope. When the combination of forces on each side equal,  the forces on either side are said to be balanced. The  ribbon tied in the middle of the rope indicates motion as well as the direction of the motion. If one team […]

Earthworms: Regeneration

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Annelids are worms with rings, such as earthworms. Use a magnifying lens to examine the surface of an earthworm. Notice the individual segments. Adult night crawlers have up to 170 segments while red wigglers have about 95.  On the first segment is the  mouth and on the last segment is the anus. In the video, […]