It’s British Science Week and our Preschool scientists have been investigating and experimenting in lots of exciting ways! For videos of the experiments, please see our Facebook or Instagram page!
The children all enjoyed being inside a giant bubble and seeing how big it could get before it burst!
We also watched in awe from a safe distance as the mentos caused an explosive reaction inside a bottle of coke!
Slightly less explosive but still lots of fun was our Dancing Raisins experiment. The children asked why the raisins sink then float then sink again, which gave the team the perfect opportunity to explain the science behind it…
Q: What do you need to do this experiment?
A: Fizzy soda (lemonade) and some raisins (make sure they aren’t stuck together)
Q: How does this Science Experiment work? (from funlearningforkids.com)
A: When you first drop the raisins in the soda they sink to the bottom of the glass because they are more dense than the soda. But the carbonated soda releases carbon dioxide bubbles and these bubbles love to attach to the rough surface of the raisins. They act like tiny floatation devices that lift the raisin to the surface of the water. This is due to an increase in buoyancy.
Once the carbon dioxide bubbles reach the surface of the soda they pop and the gas is released into the air. This makes the raisin lose buoyancy and fall back down to the bottom of the glass.
This continues until all of the carbon dioxide has escaped and the soda is flat.
EYFS links:
Listening and attention: Focusing attention – still listen or do, but can shift own attention / Is able to follow directions (if not intently focused on own choice of activity).
Understanding: Understands use of objects / Beginning to understand ‘why’ and ‘how’ questions.
People and communities: Shows interest in different occupations and ways of life (scientists!)
The world: Can talk about some of the things they have observed / Talks about why things happen and how things work / Comments and asks questions about aspects of their familiar world