VanCleave's Science Fun

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

The Importance of Air

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The Earth’s Atmosphere is a mixture of gases called air. The amount of each type of gas in air  is about 78% nitrogen, 21 % oxygen, and 1% of other gases, including carbon dioxide, argon, and water vapor. Nitrogen, oxygen, and carbon dioxide are part of the life processes of plants and animals. Nitrogen CyclePlants […]

Allelopathy

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Facts: Allelopathy is a chemical process that a plant uses to keep other plants from growing too close to it. Examples of plants that use allelopathy are black walnut trees, sunflowers, wormwoods, sagebrushes, and trees of heaven. Allelopathic plants release chemicals that affect the growth of other plants. Ways that these chemicals are released include: […]

Seed Parts

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The diagram shows shows the inside of a pinto bean. The embryo is the part of the bean seed that develops into a bean plant. The remaining part, called the cotyledon, is the food for the developing embryo. Use the diagram to identify the following parts of the embryo. embryo –the immature plant inside a […]

Stethoscope

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Homemade Stethoscope A stethoscope is an instrument used by physicians to listen to sound inside your body. You can made a homemade stethoscope using two funnels and a piece of garden hose as shown in the diagram. Jancie VanCleave’s Science Through the Ages

Three Little Kittens

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Three Little Kittens Mother Goose Nursery Rhyme Written By: Unknown, Copyright Unknown Three little kittens, They lost their mittens, And they began to cry, Oh, mother dear, We sadly fear Our mittens we have lost. What! Lost your mittens, You naughty kittens! Then you shall have no pie. Mee-ow, mee-ow, mee-ow, mee-ow. You shall have […]

Werewolves

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Question: Are there really people who change into wolves–werewolves? Answer: My answer is no. Werewolves are myths, which are stories that are passed on from generation to generation and are of unknown authorship. This myth dates back to the Ancient Romans and maybe even earlier. While the myth is not true, there are some science […]

Wolves vs. Dogs

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Question: What is the difference between wolves and dogs? Answer: Canines have dog-like appearances and both wolves and dogs are canines. Foxes and coyotes are also canines. A very important difference is that dogs are domesticated and wolves are wild animals. This means that dogs make good pets and wolves are wild and not suited […]

Earthworm: Diet

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 What Do Earthworms Eat? Earthworms eat dirt! That is, they take the dirt into their mouths and it passes through their digestive system. But it is the nutrients in the dirt that remains in the worm’s body. These nutrients include, decaying roots and leaves. Animal manures are an important food source for earthworms in the […]

Enzymes: Protease

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How does pineapple tenderize meat? Answer: Fresh pineapple contains bromelain, which is mixture of two types of protease. A protease is a protein-digesting enzyme (chemical that causes and/or changes the speed of a chemical reaction). A protein is a long chemical chain with links of different amino acids. The amino acid links are connected by  […]

Predators: Wolves

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Question: What is the difference between a predator and a prey? Answer: A predator is an animal that hunts and eats another animal. Wolves are carnivores, which means they are meat eaters. Being carnivores, wolves hunt and eat other animals, which makes them a predator. A prey is the animal being hunted and eaten by […]