VanCleave's Science Fun

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

ABOUT THE SOUND PICTURE

With mouth wide open, vibrating air coming up the throat from the vocal chords leaving the open mouth and spreading in all directions. Hi, I am Janice VanCleave, author of 50+ best-selling science experiment books for children ages 4 through high school. I taught science for 27 years and now am creating this science website.   My scream was not staged. The picture was to be of two adult cats, which I was holding. A microsecond before the camera snapped, the two cats dug their claws into my skin as they prepared to leap out of my arms. A picture like this is great for making inferences. Kids could make "guesses" as to why I am screaming. They would be drawing on facts from the photo, such as I look like I am in pain or maybe I am just pretending.

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The Chemistry Of Fruit Browning

By Janice VanCleave

Why do apple slices turn brown? The peel of an apple prevents oxygen from coming in contact with the chemicals inside the apple. Cutting an apple breaks the cells of the apple. Thus the broken cells on the cut surface of the apple are exposed to oxygen in air. There are a series of chemical […]

Filed Under: Biology Tagged With: aerobic oxidation, apple browning, denatured, enzymes, melanin, organelles, pH, phenols, pigment, polyphenol oxidase

How a Chameleon’s Skin Changes Color

By Janice VanCleave

The group of four photos model what a person with pigmented skin like a chameleon would look like.

  What Happens Inside a Chameleon that Changes Its Skin Color? New Terms light energy pigment transparent visible light white light   Chameleons are so cool! Think about having skin that changes color when there is a change in temperature, or if you get excited –upset–mad–don’t feel well. We would not be able to “hide […]

Filed Under: Biology Tagged With: chameleon's skin color, chameleons, chromophores, melanin, melanocytes, pigment

Sun Blockers

By Janice VanCleave

Natures Natural Sunblockers Some of the organisms in the icy waters of the Antarctic Ocean have a natural sun-blocker. What is this substance? Answer: Pigments (coloring substances) in living organisms, such as melanin in human skin, can also protect them from UVL. The young girl on the left in the picture above has very little […]

Filed Under: Biology, Physics Tagged With: melanin, pigment, sun block

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Welcome to Janice’s Science Extravaganza!

The spoon hanging from the string vibrates when struck and these vibrations are transmitted through the string and the sound is amplified by the plastic cups. ABOUT ME: Hi, I am Janice VanCleave, author of 50 best-selling science experiment books for children ages 4 through high school. I taught science for 27 years. MORE.....

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Other Janice VanCleave Free Color Changing Lessons

  • HAT Stickers Heat Activated Thermochromic Stickers Stickers that change colors when heated.
  • SA Stickers Sun Activated Stickers Stickers that change color when exposed to sunlight.
  • TLC Dot Stickers Thermochromic Liquid Crystal Stickers Stickers that, like Mood Rings, change color when heated.

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