Easy Experiments - Polymers

Here are two quick and easy experiments we did this week. The experiments are about polymers and how they are in everything we use. They can expand or contract depending what you use. They are part of the Magic School Bus Science Experiments kits we are using for science this year.


Experiment #1
You will need:
sandwich bag
water
Freshly sharpened pencil

Fill the bag with water and poke the pencil through both sides of the bag. Did the water leak? Did the polymers in the plastic bad expand and fill around the pencil? As a side note, you can see the pencil through the water looks bent, due to the light refracting in the water.













Experiment #2
You will need:
styrofoam peanuts
Acetone
Glass or metal bowl

This experiment shows how the polymers are already expanded to make the styrofoam and when put in acetone the polymers shrink and make the styrofoam break down. It soaked for about 2 minutes in the photo, you can also see what is left of my manicure:)