Demonstrating how solid a rock is, or rather how porous some rocks are, is a simple matter of placing the rock in water. You will need a container, a rock, a measuring cup and water. Before you start the experiment, fill the container with a specific amount of water. Measure the water and pour it into the container. Note the amount of water in the “before” column. Place the rock in the container and allow it time to absorb the water. Now measure the water and note it in the “after” column. Subtract the second column from the first and you will get the volume of displaced water.
There are several kinds of experiments to do with seeds and germination. One fun experiment is done by planting four seeds in four different containers and present different conditions for each. Two plants can be kept in the shade and two in the sun. Vary the water in the shade group and the sun group. One plant in each group can be watered daily and the other weekly. (Be sure to mark on the container whether the plant is getting daily water or weekly water). Write your daily observations on a chart.
The only two ingredients in this experiment are gelatin and pineapple. Make the gelatin according to the instructions and place some in two bowls. Allow the gelatin in both bowls to set and then place sliced pineapple in one of the bowls of gelatin. The other one is the control bowl and should be left alone so that it can be compared to the gelatin the pineapple was added to. Pineapple contains bromelain enzymes, which break down the polypeptides in the gelatin into amino acids. Check on the gelatin at regular intervals and note how long it takes the bromelain to break down the gelatin.
Everybody knows that oil and water don’t mix, but there are more immiscible fluid combinations than oil and water. Gather a few of these together and make an immiscible rainbow. The ingredients needed are 1/4 cup each of dark corn syrup, dish washing liquid, water (use food coloring so that you can see it better), vegetable oil and rubbing alcohol (also colored). All of these ingredient can be poured in the same glass, slowly, one at a time and in the order given, to demonstrate how the viscosity of fluids affect their behavior. See the “Science is Fun” website to try variations of the layered liquid experiment.