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Popular Science Demos

LN2 Slushies
- Making slushies out of fruit juices frozen with LN2
Microfluidics
- Give a demonstration of some of the microfluidics work in your lab: digital microfluidics. Could also do a demo of channel microfluidics.
Soda
- Carbonating fruit juice to make soda using dry ice
Glow Room
- Lots of chemiluminescence within a single room. (fluorescence, phosphorescence, triboluminescence) Exciting stuff!
3D Projections
- 3D projection of molecules and other photos and animations (Need 3D projector and screen)
Chromatography Flowers
- Demonstrate the concept of chromatography by leaching marker colours on filter paper
Film Canister Rockets
- Using either Alka-Seltzer tablets or dry ice and water, a positive pressure is created inside a sealed film canister. When the pressure exceeds the seal, the canister pops into the air like a rocket!
The Human Bubble
- Attendees will blow big soap bubbles in a kiddie pool, using the super bubble mix. Kids can stand on a stool and using a hula-hoop: a life size bubble can be made around them
LN2 Ice Cream
- Mix heavy cream, skim milk and either vanilla extract or chocolate syrup in a large metal bowl and stir in LN2 to make ice cream
Food Explosions
- Use dry ice in a sealed container (Christmas-season spherical Coke bottles work best) to build up a large positive pressure that explodes large fruits and vegetables – Requires a large amount of space as a safety precaution
Gummy Bear Rockets
- Melting sodium chlorate makes oxygen. Add gummy bear/anything with sugar for combustion fun.
Magnesium Silicide
- Heating Mg and SiO2 in a test tube will produce Mg2Si with excess Mg. Adding this to dilute HCl produces a flash of burning hydrogen and silane gas
Silver and Gold Pennies
- Reacting Cu with Zinc in base to plate Zn onto the Cu penny to turn it silver/ Heating the Zn plated Cu to make a brass (a gold coloured alloy)
BP Depression
- Hot water is placed into a (good quality) volumetric flask and is raised to a boil. As water vapour fills the long neck, it pushes air out. The flask is then sealed tightly, taken off the hotplate and is turned upside down, creating a vacuum. As the ice water is poured onto the bottom of the flask (now pointing up), it starts boiling. Similar to: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zzVtbvVS2lQ
Liquid Gallium
- Gallium is a very interesting metal. It melts at 30°C, so it is a solid at room temperature but is a liquid at slightly elevated temperatures. It also is one of the few substances that expands when it freezes (it expands ~3% while water expands ~9%). Unlike mercury, it is non-toxic. Cast gallium into different shapes just like tin -perhaps some little metal soldiers that melt after a quick blast with a heat gun? Or the classic gallium spoon trick (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QaJ_Yxj9bG8)? Expensive!!
Slime
- Making slime from Borax and PVA glue. Kids can make their own in a cup and bring it home
Handheld AFM
- Similar to the design and function of the handheld AFM here. A handheld AFM equipped with a small red laser (~3mW, not a safety hazard), a photodetector and a buzz. The laser shines on the backside of a “tip” (large piece of silverbacked plastic) and reflects onto a set spot close to the photodetector. The participant will hold the handheld AFM close to a surface. With the right amount of force, the participant should be able to keep the laser spot right on the photodetector without triggering the buzz. The buzz will sound if the laser does not shine onto the photodetector. The participant will hold the instrument over a short course with a few obstacles.
Hydrogen Balloons
- Balloons are filled with H2 gas. Then they are exploded from a safe distance. Balloons may be filled with an alkali salt for colour. Explosions can be big or tiny depending on the size of balloon.
- Alkali salts can include:
  - Copper(II) chloride…green
  - Lithium chloride…red
  - Sodium borate/borax…blue
  - Potassium chloride…purple
  - Sodium chloride…orange
Elephant Toothpaste
- Add soap to conc. Hydrogen peroxide, then add a decomposition catalyst (MnO2 or KI). The hydrogen peroxide decomposes to water and oxygen gas very quickly releasing a stream of soapy bubbles that looks like toothpaste. Can add food colouring to give colourful toothpaste
Oscillating Reaction
- A solution that cycles between yellow and blue *Google your favourite recipe
Traffic Light Reaction
- Turns from yellow to red on shaking, and red to green on more vigorous shaking. *Google your favourite recipe
Cloud Condensation
- Compare the ability of different types of particles to turn into cloud droplets and learn why this is important in climate prediction.
Ocean Acidification
- A pH meter is used to test the pH of “salt water”. Carbon dioxide is added in the form of dry ice to demonstrate acidification of the oceans with the addition of atmospheric CO2. Kids watch as the pH drops on the pH meter and the colour of the solution changes (due to acid indicator).
Magnetics
- Two demonstrations:
  - a. The “Levitron” spinning top that floats in mid-air
  - b. Superconductor levitating over a strong permanent magnet. Needs a superconductor + magnet + small Dewar. Liquid nitrogen in a large Dewar is needed.
Dry Ice Crystal Ball
- Freezing bubbles by putting dry ice in bubble solutions
Butter Making
- Use a marble in a small glass jar to shake your ingredients and turn them into butter… best served with crackers
Make a Battery
- Use various fruits and vegetables along with electrodes to determine the ‘battery power’ of different things kids eat
Pop Explosion
- Using diet coke and mentos to make large messy explosions!
7-Layers of Liquid
- Build your own and show it off to describe density or have the kids make their own using items available at their grocery store