Making Science (Doing experiments)

Gess' favorite subject is Science. It just so happens that it is not mine. Granted we found some curriculum that makes it easy enough. Still, I always had trouble getting around to the experiments. I just have so much else to do and messing up my kitchen during the time I usually am about to start cleaning it isn't really motivation for me. So, we came up with a solution. We now study the material during the school week and daddy and Gess do the experiment for it on the weekend!

This semester we were using the Real Science 4 Kids Pre-Level 1 Chemistry book. I had blogged previously about how we were using this but because I never got around to the experiments I gave up and went with other Science options. However, now that daddy is helping, we will have this book completed by the end of the semester! (I had also mentioned how you could purchase this product by the chapter, but they don't allow you to do that anymore.)

Gess looks really forward to the experiments each weekend. (Well, we do go through the material slowly so she doesn't do one every weekend, but she sure looks forward to it when we do.) There are times she will even try to do them on her own. The other day she was in the kitchen and spreading cups out all over the table. When she was asked what she was doing she said "making science," hence the title of my post. Here is the experiment she was trying to copy that day.

In chapters 4 and 5 we learned about acids and bases and how they are different and how they react to each other. We learned that acids taste sour and bases are bitter. So for our experiment we had several liquids and were going to determine which ones were acids and which were bases and which were neutral (neither an acid or a base). Our experiment called for the following ingredients:

white grape juice
lemon juice
grapefruit juice
milk
baking soda water
mineral water
alka-seltzer water

Then we had to boil red cabbage in distilled water to make some cabbage juice to use as our indicator (what will tell us whether they are acids or bases).

Once we have our indicator ready, we line up all of our liquids in marked cups.



First we guess what we think the results will be. She has to guess which she thinks will be sour, bitter, or neither. Now it's time to do the taste test.



After tasting them (I am thinking she did not like the taste of the alka-seltzer water) we write our results of the taste test.

Next, we use our indicator to see if they change colors. When we add the cabbage juice a base should turn green, an acid should turn pink, and a neutral liquid will remain purple.



Now we have our results, notice their color changes.



Gess absolutely loves doing Science experiments and these are pretty easy to do. I could even do them myself if I had the mind to, but it is nice to have daddy involved some. It gives them some quality time to look forward to each weekend and gives her a much thorough explanation of the experiment than I could ever give!

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