Instant facts- Just add water 12

There are over 350 different breeds of horses and ponies.
in: http://shannonleighstables.com

Underwater candle

We learn here how water can work as a fantastic magical element in a illusion trick. Today we will see another heat transfer experiment, this time between water and wax.

We will need:

• 2 candles, identical
• 2 tall bowls, higher then the candles and identical,
• match box, or a cigarette lighter,
• water, enough to fill the bowls.

How to:

1. Chose a safe spot for the bowls. They will stay there for a while;
2. Place the candles inside;
3. Fill one bowl with water, leave about 1 in of the candle above the water level ;
4. Don't fill the second bowl;
5. Light both candles, this is an adult task;
6. Wait several minutes;
7. Let the wicks burn slow, The candle in the bowl with water will reach the water level;
8. Let it burn for a bit more;
9. Observe.

Results:
The candle in the empty bowl burns normally, as the wick is consumed the wax melt and the candle begins to get smaller.

The candle in the bowl with water burn normally until the wax reach the water level, here, or maybe a few mm before, the candle forms a "funnel", preventing water to contact with the wick, and the candle continues to burn for some time.

Why?
Both candles are consumed by the wick flame; if the candles are identical you can observe they burn at same velocity, until the water is placed in the equation.
Everything changes with the water. The candle is consumed because the wax is heated by the wick flame and as consequence the wax melts.

When we light up a candle we expect it to melt, but when we place it "under water" we expect the flame to go out.
But the true is: we can observe the candle burning underwater, it looks like the candle has a survival instinct, just like the balloon, and exactly for the same reason that the balloon doesn’t burst, the candle still burning, and we can see the formation of a "funnel" like a hole, surrounded by wax thin walls, protecting the wick from water.

This happens because the water is a good heat absorber; the heat necessary to raise water temperature by 1 degree is very high.
When the wick transfers the heat to the wax, the wax transfer it to the water, this allows the wax in contact with water to remain cold, and therefore solid.
This system is only in equilibrium for a few sec, or maybe a few minutes, but eventually the water will find its way, even because the walls will eventually collapse with the water pressure (weight) the water comes in and the candle sinks.

This is a demonstration, you can transform this in a experiment or science fair project:

• Use diferent candle types (form, color, thickness, height) which of the candles keeps water away for longer?
• Vary water temperature; this helps the candle to stay lit for longer?

Keep a record of your data

Et voilá!
Sometimes things may defy common sense

Enjoy!

Decorated candle with beach stones

Another good application to your restless shell/stones collection is to do some candles. Doing candles can be a highly specialized task but it can be transformed in a very rudimentary task, anyway it's fun. 

To this DIY project you can buy a white and plain candle, if you wish
With this project you can recycle those annoying little crayons your restless keeps in his pencil box.

We will need:

• candle wax,
• candle-wick,
• old crayons,
• beach stones, tiny
• shells,
• an old pot or metal box, the box will be trashed after this, you can use a metal milk powder box for example
• Molds, the plastic yogurt cups work well they aren't the ideal material but they easy to find,
• Wooden sticks, you can use clothes pins.

How to:

1. Wash and clean the yogurt cups very well;
2. Cut the candle-wick with the cup height plus 2in;
3. Chose a tiny, really tiny, stone to work as weight to candle-wick;
4. Tie the stone to the wick.
5. Tie the wooden stick to the other candle-wick end, the wick must be tied in the middle of stick;
6. Place this “stick+wick+stone” set in the yogurt cup,
7. The wick must be stretched, if needed adjust the knot on the stick;
8. Place this cup in a metallic tray;
9. Put the wax into the metal box and take it to the stove fire, don't use to much wax at the same time;
10. Wait until the wax is pasty;
11. Chose your favorite crayon color and chip it into the wax, keep the heat down during this process, this avoid the wax to become dark;
12. Let the chips to dissolve and turn off the heat;
13. Wait a few moments to cool the wax a little, remember you are using plastic yogurt cups and if the wax boil the cup will melt almost immediately, that’s why we use the metallic tray, to avoid accidents,
14. Fill 1/4 of the cup with wax; place some stones against the mold wall;
15. Place the wick on the center and far from the stones;
16. Let it cool;
17. Melt the wax again, you can chose to use another color, repeat the mix and the cool steps;
18. Fill the cup at 1/2, place the stones, adjust the wick, and let it cool;
19. Fill the rest of the cup with wax;
20. Leave it to cool for 24hours;
21. With the exact-O knife unmold the candle.

Et voilá!
Original candles you can use as you wish

Enjoy!

Floating grape- density matters

This is another demonstration of density, your restless will love this floating grapes.

Density is what does float in the air, ice cubes float on drinks and stones "drop dead" in the bottom of the lake.
We are going to make a grape to float on a glass with water.

What we need:

• 3 transparent cups,
• tape,
• pen,
• measuring cup,
• water,
• sugar,
• 3 grapes,
• tablespoon,
• paper sheet.

How to:

1. With the pen, the paper and the tape, make 3 labels for the 3 cups- Cup1 Cup2 Cup3;
2. Fill the measuring cup with water;
3. Add sugar until the solution is saturated, it will be saturated when some of the sugar, not many, remains on bottom, even after you mix it well with the spoon;
4. Fill the Cup1 with tap water;
5. Place a grape inside, what happens?;
6. Fill the Cup2 with the sugar solution;
7. Place another grape on the cup, what happens?;
8. Now, fill 1/2 of the Cup3 with the sugar solution;
9. With careful fill the rest of the Cup3 with tap water. The best way to do this is to use a spoon. Place it inside the cup, without touching the sugar solution, let the water drain along the spoon, as we saw here.
10. Place a grape inside the cup. What happens now?

Why?
The grape is denser then the water, so it sinks.
The sugar solution is denser then grape, so the grape floats. But the sugar water is denser then the tap water, when we place this 2 liquids in layers, the grape its trapped between the layers and floats.
 
If you prepare the sugar solution several hours before use it, the difference between the 2 are imperceptible, and really looks "a kind of magic";

Make this a experiment, try to use salt or substitute grapes for raisins... What happened? Keep your results in a log.
 
Et Voilá!
It's a kind of magic...

Enjoy!

Photo in a lamp

Look to an object and see beyond the obvious is a good exercise. Our brain must be trained to do this. A good way to train this is to reuse objects; sometimes we trash materials that can be something else. This thinking promotes recycling and stimulates the reuse, encouraging energy saving with the waste reduction.

Old lamps are good objects to reuse, we can pain them, we can fill them with color sand, make a jar... But there is a problem with lamps, open it, it's needed some training to open a lamp without broken it

What we need:

• pliers,
• screwdriver,
• lamp, Broken lamp to reuse
• a towel, rag,
• wire,
• wood block,
• sandpaper,
• acrylic paint,
• varnish,
• mini clothespin,
• glue, hot glue works better,
• lamp socket, you can buy it in any hardware store,
• screws, for the socket ,
• rubber feet, or felt;
• a photo, small enough to fit inside the lamp.

How to:

1. Sand the wood block;
2. Paint it with the acrylic paint, remember the bottom will be hidden and the top will be partially covered with the socket;
3. Let i dry for about 24h;
4. Varnish;
5. Let t dry again;
6. Glue the rubber feet on the bottom;

First phase is done, lets take a look on the lamp, this must be done by an adult

1. Place the lamp on the towel, and with the pliers, remove the metallic tip of the screw of the lamp. Just the tip, don’t use to many pressure on the lamp, grab the screw with your hand and the metallic tip with the pliers,  rotate steadily, be careful with your fingers, child must be away from you while you are doing this.
2. When we pull the tip with the pliers all lamp content is dragged out;
3. Confirm the lamp is really empty;
4. Wash the lamp with tap water;
5. Let it dry.

The lamp is ready, lets place the picture inside: 

1. Screw the lamp socket to the wood block;
2. Cut a piece of wire, about 2 and half times the height of the lamp;
3. With the pliers roll up the wire like the one on the image, when you finish this twisted wire must fit inside the lamp.
4. Glue the mini clothespin to the other end of the wire, upside down;
5. Bend the wire end, the curly section will support the picture, like feet, and the mini clothespin will work as a pin;
6. If the wire is too big cut it now;
7. Place the wire inside the lamp, remember to do the last adjustments to it, size and position;
8. Pin the Photo to the clothespin;
9. With careful and patience, place the set "wire + clothespin + photo" inside the lamp
10. If necessary use hot glue to fix the wire to the lamp socket.
11. Screw the lamp.

Et voilá!
A photogenic paperweight 

Enjoy!

Sources:
http://girlinair.blogspot.com/2011/05/lets-make-fathers-day-gift.htm

Instant facts- Just add water 11

Nearly 60 million Christmas trees are grown each year in Europe.
in http://www.funfactz.com/christmas-facts/

Instant facts- Just add water 10

Elephants sleep standing up during non-REM sleep, but lie down for REM sleep.
in http://listverse.com/2007/10/29/top-20-facts-about-sleep/