DIY Science: Outdoors

DIY Science: Outdoors — page 5 — scientist's secret outdoor lab Every outdoor scientist needs a lair lab to carry out their experiments But how can you build one that stays the perfect temperature inside With science that’s how YOU WILL NEED 24 12 inch sticks string lots of clothes pins scissors black cloth white pillowcase tinfoil plastic wrap 4 bowls 4 ice cubes stopwatch STEP 2 Use the string to tightly tie the tops of the sticks together STEP 1 Grab six of your sticks and set them out in a cone shape so they’re evenly spaced When they’re in position gently push them into the ground STEP 3 Wrap your white pillowcase around the outside of the frame Grab the clothes pins and clip them onto the sticks to hold the pillowcase in place STEP 4 Repeat steps 1 to 3 to create three more tents Cover one with black cloth one with foil and one with plastic wrap STEP 5 Put one ice cube in each bowl and place them inside the four mini labs Grab your stopwatch and time how long it takes for each ice cube to melt 8

DIY Science: Outdoors — page 6 — How does it work plastic wrap black cloth Plastic wrap lets the sun’s rays travel through the plastic but the heat can’t escape back out This ice cube should have melted fastest Dark surfaces like your black sheet absorb light and heat As the sheet gets hot it warms up the air inside so this ice cube should have melted second fastest white pillowcase tinfoil Light rays tend to bounce off light-colored surfaces like this one so they don’t heat up the sheet or the air inside so much This should have been the third ice cube to melt That’s why people wear light colored clothes in the summer to help keep cool Shiny surfaces reflect light and heat really well Only small amounts get through the foil so it takes a lot longer for the space inside to heat up This ice cube should have melted last keep out what next Every scientist needs their own laboratory to conduct experiments and document their results so it’s time to build a full-size one Use a large white sheet some rope six garden canes and an adult to do all the hard work for you After all you wouldn’t want to exhaust yourself before you’ve even begun 9

DIY Science: Outdoors — page 7 — waterfall wall Time for some splashy fun in the name of science Recycle some plastic containers into this impressive waterfall Just don’t blame us for any mud puddles STEP 1 Cut along one side of the box so that when it unfolds it turns into a long sheet of cardboard with flaps on either side Carefully cut the flaps off leaving just the long rectangle of cardboard YOU WILL NEED 4 or more empty clean plastic bottles scissors large cardboard box as big as you can find white glue jug bucket STEP 2 Using your scissors cut a rectangular hole next to the handle of the first bottle The hole should be big enough for you to put your hand in STEP 3 Glue the long side of the plastic bottle to the top of the cardboard sheet Make sure the hole you cut is facing upwards and the spout of the bottle is tilting down slightly STEP 4 Repeat steps 1 to 3 on the next bottle but glue the bottle to the cardboard underneath the first with the spout facing the opposite way The hole you cut in the second bottle should be underneath the spout of the first bottle so water can flow from one to the other 10

DIY Science: Outdoors — page 8 — STEP 5 Repeat the previous steps alternating the direction of the bottle each time When you think you’ve got enough bottles fix your waterfall wall up against a solid surface like an outdoor wall or fence WHAT NEXT Try putting the bottles at different angles or using different shaped bottles Does this make the water speed up or slow down How does it work You might notice the water speeds up or accelerates as it runs through the bottles The speed of the water depends on forces things that push and pull Gravity is the force that pulls stuff together Big heavy things like the Earth have a stronger gravitational pull than smaller lighter things like you This pull keeps your feet on the ground and also makes the water get quicker as it flows down STEP 6 Put a bucket directly under the bottom bottle then test your waterfall by pouring some water into the hole in the top bottle It should flow through all of the bottles and out of the last one into the bucket 11

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