Celebrate Chemistry...The Chemistry of Blood

The Science Mommy has been invited by Dow Chemical to Celebrate Chemistry this summer!

Here's what's happening...The Science Mommy hosted a Chemistry Party and will post the investigations over several weeks...this is the last week to enter! 

We did two investigations to learn more about blood...
Blood Typing
Ages: This is for the older Kid scientists
Materials: There is a bit of prep for this investigation and you will need:  Water, vinegar, whole milk, red food color, clear plastic cups and eye droppers or pipettes
 

Procedure:
1 - Set up the investigation
In a lab situation, blood can be typed by adding reagents to blood.  Type A blood will react with Anti-A reagent but not Anti-B, Type B blood will react with Anti-B reagent but not Anti-A.  Likewise Type AB will react with both and Type O will react with neither.  This demonstration mimics the same effect without using real blood or requiring reagents.
* Make a Simulated Blood solution:  add red food coloring (and maybe a single drop of green) to 2 cups of milk until it looks a bit like blood
* Put 1/2 cup Simulated Blood into 4 clear plastic cups.  With a permanent pen, label each cup A, B, AB and O.  The Science Mommy also created two Unknown Samples.
* Prepare Simulated Reagents:  The milk will react with the vinegar but not with the water.  This investigation works better if you have several small dropper bottles on hand, but the Science Mommy only had the cups.  For each blood type, you will need two Simulated Reagents.  For Type A, the Anti-A reagent is vinegar and the Anti-B is water.  For Type B, the Anti-B is vinegar and the Anti-A is water, both are vinegar for Type AB and both are water for Type O.  The prep for this investigation can be confusing but if you label as you go, it works out great.
* Create a data table:

I just drew on an index card with permanent pen and placed it in a snack size baggie...the rows are for the blood types and the columns represent the reagents. 

2 - Complete the Investigation

* Pass around Blood Type A, and each Science Kid puts a drop in both boxes of the data sheet. Then we passed around the Reagents for Type A.  Science Kids put a couple drops of the correct reagent into each drop of blood and look at the results.

* The Science Kids talked about what they were noticing as they confirmed each of the known blood types.  I explained that while this was a simulation, it's a very similar process if you have real blood.

* The final step is to test the Unknown Samples.  Using their data from the known samples, the Science Kids were able to accurately determine the unknown blood types.

Donating Blood
Ages: This is for the Big Kids too.  It's a good investigation to follow the blood typing because it gives Kid Scientists a practical application for knowing blood type.

Materials:  This one also requires a bit if prep.  You'll need: clear plastic cups or dishes, red food coloring, vinegar, water, Pledge Premium Floor Polish

Procedure:
1 - Prepare the Simulated Blood Samples
* Mix 2 1/2 tablespoons floor polish, 3 ounces water and 5 drops of red food color in one cup.  Label Type A.
* Mix 2 1/2 tablespoons vinegar, 3 ounces water and 5 drops red food color in a second cup.  Label Type B.
* Mix 1/2 cup water and 5 drops red food color in a third jar and Label Type O.

2 - Complete the Investigation

* In one cup or dish, Kid Scientists mix 1 tbs Type A and 1 tbs Type O blood.  Observe the results.
*In another cup, Kid Scientists mix 1 tbs Type B and 1 tbs Type O blood.  Observe the results.
* In a third cup, Kid Scientists mix 1 tbs Type A and 1 tbs Type B blood.  Observe the results.

  Behind the Science:  All blood is made of the same basic elements and blood types are different depending on the presence or absence of certain antigens (substances or molecules) that trigger an immune response when they enter the body.  "Self" antigens - those that match or are compatible with your body - are usually tolerated by the immune system.  "Non-self" antigens are identified by the body as intruders and attacked by the immune system.

Watch this video to learn more about the Chemistry of Blood

To Enter:  You must be a follower of The Science Mommy and enter a comment on a Celebrate Chemistry post.  There will be three posts, and you can enter with each post.

Additional entries:  Send the Science Mommy a picture or link to your Science Mommy project and you will receive an additional entry.

Celebrate Chemistry...Baking Soda Volcano

The Science Mommy has been invited by Dow Chemical to Celebrate Chemistry this summer!

Here's what's happening...The Science Mommy hosted a Chemistry Party and will post the investigations over the next three weeks.  Each week you'll have a chance to win - click on the picture in the sidebar or read on for more details!

Baking Soda Volcanoes
& 
Baking Soda Rockets 

Ages:  All ages of Kid Scientist will have fun with Baking Soda Volcanoes

Materials:  Styrofoam cups, small paper/plastic cups, film canister, baking soda, vinegar, dishwashing soap, food coloring

This gets messy, so it's a good one for outside!

Procedure:

  1)  Each Kid Scientist will need a large styrofoam cup.  This part of the model represents the volcano.  The Science Mommy cut a hole in the bottom of the cup to accommodate the film canister but Big Kids could do this themselves.  Push the film canister into the hole in the bottom of the cup.  The film canister represents a magma chamber in the volcano.

2)  Put a teaspoon of baking soda into the film canister.

3) Each Kid Scientist also needs a small cup.  We passed the materials for the "Lava Solution" around the circle and kids added them to their cups...1 ounce vinegar, 1 teaspoon dishsoap, red & yellow food color

4) Once everyone had their "Lava Solution" ready, we poured it into the the film canister...

...and watched the foamy, bubbly volcano reaction!

Since we were outside, and had all the materials at hand, the Science Kids at the party decided to explore Baking Soda Rockets...

Ages:  This is best for the Bigger Kid Scientists

Materials:  Fuji film canisters (the clear/white ones), baking soda, vinegar

Procedure:

* I modeled making a rocket for the Kid Scientists.  This is an excellent investigation for Kids because the materials are simple and they can launch the rockets over and over.  It takes some thoughtful experimentation to determine the best ratio of baking soda to vinegar and some practice with rocket launch.

1) Put baking soda into the lid of the film canister and vinegar into the canister itself

2) Attach the lid to the canister and smoothly place it upside down on the launch pad

3) Step back and watch the rocket

4)  Think about what happened in your launch and try it again

Safety Considerations:  * Only one person launching a rocket at a time * Make sure you step away from the launch, especially don't hold your head over the rocket * Once you have vinegar & baking soda all over your hands - don't touch your eyes or face

A satisfying rocket launch is pretty exciting for all Kid Scientists!

You can watch this video to learn more about Baking Soda Volcanos

To Enter the Give-Away: You must be a follower of The Science Mommy and enter a comment on a Celebrate Chemistry post.  There will be three posts, and you can enter with each post.

Additional entries:  Send the Science Mommy a picture or link to your Science Mommy project and you will receive an additional entry.

Shaving Cream Marbling...

This project has already been posted, but we had a great time putting together this package of cards.  My Little Kid Scientist Aiden asked if he could share them on The Science Mommy...

Ages:  This is best for older Kids.  It's a pretty messy project and requires a bit of dexterity.  With supervision & assistance though there's no reason to eliminate the Little Kids.

Materials: food color, toothpicks, shaving cream, paper plates, plastic knives or popsicle sticks, napkins, cards or any cardstock (gift tags & bookmarks would work well too)

Procedure: 

Start by filling a paper plate with shaving cream.  Choose the basic, least expensive type of shaving cream you can find.  Use a plastic knife or popsicle stick to smooth the shaving cream into a relatively flat surface.

Add a few drops of food color to the shaving cream.  Here's a great spot to have a chat with your Kid Scientist about mixing colors..."What colors will I have when I mix blue and green?  Let's find out..."

Drag a toothpick through the colors & shaving cream to create any type of marbled pattern. 

Lay your card or other paper onto the marbled pattern.  Make sure you press the card into the shaving cream so that all the color is transferred to the paper.

Here's the messy part...pull the card off the shaving cream.  Using the knife or popsicle stick scrape the excess shaving cream off the card.  You can then use a paper towel or napkin to wipe the remaining shaving cream off the paper.  Clean as much off as possible.  The soap in the shaving cream adheres the food color to the card...you'll scrape of shaving cream, leaving the marbled pattern behind. 

Shaving cream can be reused several times.  In this example Aiden blended the blue & green leftovers he had scraped off a card, then he added yellow drops on top. 

Leave the cards out to completely  dry before packaging.

This is a messy science project!  However, shaving cream is essentially soap so the clean up happens fast!

The end result is a unique collection of handmade cards!

The Science Mommy would love to see pictures of your marbled cards!

Science in the Kitchen...

The Science Mommy and her Kid Scientists recently cooked up a little science in the kitchen, while making gifts for the boys teachers. 

I found this recipe in Family Fun Magazine that showed  how to package cake mix in a coffee cup for a microwaveable, personal-sized cake.  My boys liked the idea, but I wanted to package everything needed to make the cake and the recipe called for oil and an egg to be added later.

I have also made this, Diet Coke Cake with the boys and it turned out quite well. 

Here's the experiment...Can we combine the two recipes into a single, personal-sized Diet Coke cake that bakes in the microwave?

The initial recipe indicated that a standard cake mix could be divided into 8, 1/2 cup portions.  I set the boys to measuring the cake mix (good measuring practice).  We found that there are only 7 full 1/2 cup portions.

Next Connar did the math to find out how much diet coke we would use with our 1/2 cup portions.  He came up with 1.5 ounces and decided to use 1/4 of a cup in order to have a standard measurement.  We are using small cans of soda in order to package them more easily.

Then it was time to try our first sample...1/2 cup cake mix, 1/4 cup Diet Coke and 3 minutes in the microwave.

Taste Test...It was better than I thought it would be, but the cake was kind of chewy.  Test #2...1/2 cup cake mix, 1/4 cup Diet Coke and 2 1/2 minutes in the microwave.

This time the cake was still chewy, but there were raw spots.  Test #3...1/2 cup cake mix, 1/3 cup diet coke and 3 minutes in the microwave. This was the perfect combination!

Meanwhile, we followed the Family Fun recipe for a glaze mix to include in the cup.  This was perfect the first time!

Final Recipe:

* Put 1/2 cup of chocolate cake mix in a resealable bag and label "Cake Mix"

* Mix 1/2 cup powdered sugar and 1 tbs cocoa powder in a resealable bag and label "Frosting"

* Put both bags into a mug, including a label with the cooking instructions

* Cooking Instructions:  Mix the cake mix with 1/3 cup of the Diet Coke in the mug.  Microwave for 3 minutes.  While the cake is cooking, add 1 or 2 tbs of water to the frosting mix.  Seal the bag and using your hands, mix the frosting.  Whent the cake is finished, cut a corner off the frosting bag, frost your cake and enjoy!

* Package the mug with mixes with a small can of Diet Coke.

Enjoy!  This is a delicious, personal-sized cake!

Snowflake Collection...

The Science Mommy loves winter, snow and playing outside.  The next several posts will be all about outdoor science in the winter!

Ages: This is great for all ages of Kid Scientist.  If you have a curious Big Kid scientist, read ahead for the extension.

Materials:  black construction paper, snow, magnifying lens (if you have one)

Procedure:    This activity works well when it's snowing softly...but creative Kid Scientists will be able to collect snowflakes any time
Collect Them:

• Use your black paper to collect falling snowflakes
• If there are too many snowflakes to see clearly, try blowing gently to spread them out
• You can also sprinkle snow onto your black paper if it's not currently snowing

Explore Them:

Once you have your snowflakes, spend some time examining them...

• How would you describe the shape of the snowflakes?
• How many different snow flakes do you see?
• What size are your snowflakes?  Are they all the same size?
• What else do you notice?
• What are you wondering about snowflakes?

Parents and curious Kid Scientists can explore this great snowflake website to learn more about how snowflakes form.  There are also some amazing pictures like this one...

For Big Kid Scientists:  Based on the website linked above, the Science Mommy wrote an article about snowflakes for Big Kid Scientists.  I would share this with my Kid Scientists after the collected snowflakes and spent some time examining their collection.  You can get this article about snowflakes by clicking on the link.

The Milk Lab...a guest post...

My oldest Kid Scientist, Connar, came home from school the other day excited to share "The Milk Lab".  Today's demonstration is his guest post...

Ages: This is best for 5 year olds through 13 year olds

Materials:  whole milk, food coloring, dish soap, small dish

 Procedure:

• Pour a small amount of milk into the dish
  

•  Put four different drops of food coloring in a square around the edges of the dish

• Put one drop of dish soap into the center of the square.  Watch carefully because this is where the reaction starts.

•  I know why this happened: The dish soap, because it eats away grease, broke up the fat in the milk to make this reaction happen.

Halloween Potions #3...

The Science Mommy is getting into the season with some spooky Halloween potions.  I am not posting pictures, because I don't want to give anything away.  How do your potions turn out?

Ages: Big Kid Scientists

Materials: white glue, laundry starch,  plastic bowl, 2 popsicle sticks, food color

Procedure:

• Mix 1/2 cup of white glue with 1/2 cup laundry starch in a plastic bowl.
• Stir the solution thoroughly.
• Add a few drops of food coloring to make a spooky potion
• Allow the bowl, and the solution, to sit untouched for 5 minutes.
• Knead the mixture for several minutes.
• If your potion is too sticky add a few drops of starch
• You can store this in a plastic bag.

Observations:  Kid Scientists can share their observations of this potion and compare it to the other two.
* How does it feel?  How does it smell?
* Describe the consistency.  Describe the texture.

* Is this a solid or a liquid?  Why?

The Science Mommy would love to see the product of your potions.  Any pictures, with permission, will be shared on the Science Mommy.

Happy Halloween!

Halloween Potions #2...

The Science Mommy is getting into the season with some spooky Halloween potions.  I am not posting pictures, because I don't want to give anything away.  How do your potions turn out?

Ages: Big Kid Scientists

Materials: white glue, water,  2 plastic bowls, 2 popsicle sticks, food color, talcum (baby) powder

Procedure:

• Mix 1/3 cup of water with 1/2 cup white glue in a bowl
• Add a few drops of food coloring to create a spooky potion
• Add 1 tsp of talcum powder and stir until the mixture is thoroughly mixed

• Combine 1/4 cup of water  with 1/2 tsp borax and stir
• Add the borax/water solution to the glue/water solution and stir
• Remove the mixture from the bowl and knead it on a counter or table.  You may need to wipe excess moisture off your hands as your work.
• You can store this in a plastic bag.

Observations:  Kid Scientists can share their observations of this potion and compare it to the other two.
* How does it feel?  How does it smell?
* Describe the consistency.  Describe the texture.

* Is this a solid or a liquid?  Why?

Halloween Potions #1...

The Science Mommy is getting into the season with some spooky Halloween potions.  I am not posting pictures, because I don't want to give anything away.  How do your potions turn out?

Ages: Big Kid Scientists

Materials: white glue, borax,  2 plastic bowls, water, 2 popsicle sticks, food color

Procedure:

• Pour 1/2 cup of white glue into the plastic bowl
• Add 1/2 cup of water to the glue and stir with the popsicle stick
• Add food coloring to create a spooky potion

• Pour 1 cup of water into the second bowl
• Add 1 tsp of borax to the water and stir with the second popsicle stick
• Slowly, add the glue/water mixture to the borax/water mixture 
• This is messy!
• The two mixtures will form a slimy ball.  Pick this up, and knead it in your hands until it's dry.  
• You can store this in a plastic bag to compare it to the other potions.

Observations:  Kid Scientists can share their observations of this potion and compare it to the other two.
* How does it feel?  How does it smell?
* Describe the consistency.  Describe the texture.
* Is this a solid or a liquid?  Why?

Crystal Snowflakes...

I posted this activity a while ago without pictures.  Now I have the step-by-step to keep your snowflake hanging in a window.

Ages:  This activity is for Big Kid Scientists.  As you read it, this one sounds more difficult but my 11 year old Kid Scientist did it on his own, I just supervised.

Materials:  pipe cleaner, string, water, borax,wide-mouth jar, food color 

Procedure:

• You will need boiling water for this activity.  Kid Scientists - make sure you have supervision for boiling water

• While you're waiting for the water to boil, create your snowflake.  Cut a pipe cleaner into 3 pieces. Twist the pieces together at the center to form a six-legged shape.  Make sure the snowflake fits into the jar.

• Tie a piece of string to one leg of the snowflake.
• Fill the jar with boiling water

• Add Borax one tablespoon at a time to the water.  Stir after each tablespoon to dissolve the borax.  Stir as much Borax into the water as possible, stopping when the Borax no longer dissolves. (This is called a Saturated Solution)

• Add food color drops to create your favorite color
• Suspend the pipe-cleaner snowflake in the jar of borax solution.  Roll the string around the pencil so that the snowflake hangs from the pencil laid across the jar.  (The snowflake should not touch the jar sides or bottom)

• Allow the jar to sit undisturbed for a day or two before you check your snowflake.

• Now you can take the snowflake out of the jar and carefully hang it up.

The Science Mommy would love to see pictures of your snowflakes!