Hello, My ds16 wants a totally wild Science Fair project to try to win the thing this year.... Or at least to be known for the excitement of it I think. He always tries to do things a little out of the ordinary and was looking at ways to either explode things or blow things up? Dh found a good site with science project stuff on it but ds still wants the really wild effect.. we are looking at doing the Mentos and soda one, so what else is out there that will have a cause and effect of WOW!
Why do guys just want to blow things up anyway? ds and I are having words over this project, because his whole purpose is just to show he can blow something up.... I am looking for the intelectual benifits of this ( Ya it may help if I learn to spell intelectual?) anyway, you know what I mean?
Have you look at Aurora's site to see if she has anything? http://www.superchargedscience.com/ What about the book Backyard Ballistics?
Wild Goose books are WONDERFUL books with TONS of really fun experiments. I've used a lot of their stuff and had a blast. They have one called Jr. Boom Academy that have not used, but it looks like it would be... well, a blast!! http://www.science-is.com/goosebooks.htm
I am here to wish you the best with this project! I love the title of your thread and am a bit scared for you...lol...
heheh Smiling Dawn, it is good to be a little bit scared for me, he has one he picked and it is using a houshold chemical and tin foil, I am not sure he will get the desired result but dh is thinking we may let him try it....... Im going with the mentos myself!
Why do guys want to blow stuff up?? B/c it is fun! for them I guess. LOL. Well another project you may want to consider if it would work and depending on his maturity level. (NO TOMATOES PLEASE & READ THE 2ND AMMENDMENT) You may want to do a project with different caliber guns and different distances and valocities and what it can do to a certain material. This would have to be done at a gun range (unless you have enough property) but the state parks often have gun ranges. They could show what a hole looks like from 25 yds, 50 yds etc. You' re dh and him could get a few men together and they could go blow stuff up with the gun and then objects could be brought in for the display. It sounds like a cool project to me. It would be different. You should also have him take a hunter safety course if he hasnt done that yet.
I have video tape of dh and his friends shooting at gallon milk jugs full of water. While watdhing the tape one sees the jug (not the people, the camera is aimed at the jug...) and then you wait and wait and wait.......and wait some more, but don't fast forward because generally you'll miss when the thing gets shot. He thought it was the neatest...me, well, I didn't. But that is OK. He then recorded some more being shot at... Go to a local hunting or archery club and inquire if there would be any events coming up that may be worth watching.
the thing is he really wants to make a big bang thingy, not to be confused with evolution (lol) but something that he has to build a fiberglass and wood box for to house his explostive science project..... I asked him questions about what would the purpose of that be? How will it benifit anyone... etc, he said "because it will go boom?" and "It could help in wars and stuff" lol you can tell he really thought this one through. He just wants a noisy boom not something that will do damage mind you.... anyone have a noise boom that wont cause damage?
You maybe able to find some people with guns that will work with him, or go to a sporting goods store with a gun range in it. As far as the big boom with no destruction- hmmm dunno- AND well what fun would that be! LOL Jill
What if at some city near you there is a building that will be imploded in the near future? One never knows... That would be a Big Boom...lol...
This brings back childhood memories of bottle rockets with attached Barbie dolls... Perhaps he could study/figure out how fireworks are made? But...uhm...seriously, be careful about having combustibles in 'confined' spaces. Don't ask how I know this...
My sister works for TNT that would be really easy for us to get info on..... and he is working with his dad mr science so it is easier for me and less stressful. I am so glad his schedule is how it is they went and did research then went outside and did a few things then came in and ds wrote up some info on stuff... his teacher let him do an experiment on his project idea in class yesterday! Using the private schools stuff..... so that was good! That way he had a real Science Guy teacher there. I am NOT a Science Gal! lol
loo, he just came in and gave me the scientific explaination, what he is really doing is disovling a layer of acouple kinds of chemicals one being aluminum foil and one being Hydrochorine or something, seperating the H2O in a sence in the chemical process.... uh from what I DID understand in his explaination! I will find a lab coat for him before the science fair becasue he is very excited about this project and dh is making him really learn why it does what it does etc! I am SOOO Glad dh is in charge of this one! Wee!
well you know we have to be cautious too, don't want homeland security knocking on oru door hahah! but seriously its small time stuff, hehe,
Okay not exploding but what about smaking winter green candies with a hammer? It produces a spark?! Or doing a project on what types of chemicals to add to fire to produce which colors. . .(applied science of fire crackers!) My ds is making a car using the idea of built up pressure. . .from the diet coke and mentos thing. LOL It's called the Cocamentomobile! He just has to find a way to apply enough pressure so that it propels forward instead of any which way but loose! ;-) Oh and there's also a book called Backyard Ballistics. That's sure to have lots of exploding and launching of things. ;-)