Our Summer science series continues this week thanks to RD&I Product Development Manager Danielle Oscarson.

Supplies

• 1 small glass
• 1 large glass
• Water
• Food coloring (optional) 

Directions

Step 1 – Add the water to the large glass.  It should fill about 75% of the glass.

Step 2 – *optional* Add 5 – 10 drops of food coloring, depending on how strong you want the color.  

Step 3 – Take the small glass and vertically lower it slowly into the water with the open end towards the water.  Watch how water does not enter the glass.

Step 4 – Slowly tilt the small glass to one side.  Watch how water now enters the glass.

Key Principles

• Air pressure.  The glass slowly lowered into the water isn’t empty.  It’s full of air.  As the water is trying to get up into the glass from underneath, the air inside has nowhere to go.  As water is pushing to get inside the glass, it compresses the air, causing the air pressure to rise, which pushes against the water, causing the glass to not fill with water.  
• When the glass is tilted, air bubbles come up and water enters.  The more you tilt; the more air bubbles are formed, and more water enters.

Want to do more?

• What do you think would happen if you tilt the glass at different angles?  5 degrees, 30 degrees, 90 degrees, 180 degrees (like when you are upside down underwater)?

Share your experiment fun

Did your experiment go as planned? Were there any surprises? What might you do differently next time? Tell us about your experience through words and pictures on our Facebook page! Be sure to tag @AndersenWindows and use #AndersenWindows with #SummerScience. 

Thanks for joining our Andersen scientists and adding STEM into your summer! 

The post Summer Science – Episode 4: Why Water Doesn’t Go Up My Nose appeared first on Renewal by Andersen of Alaska.

This groovy science experiment is courtesy of Ben Goebel, a Renewal by Andersen RD&I Engineer Manager.

Supplies

• 1 Glass
• 1/4 cup water
• 1/2 cup vegetable oil
• Food coloring
• Alka-Seltzer tablet

Instructions 

Step 1 – Add the water to the glass. It should fill only about the bottom 25% of the glass.

Step 2 – Slowly add the oil to the glass. With water and oil together, it should fill about 75% of the glass. Notice the water and oil remain separated.

Step 3 – Add 5-10 drops of food coloring to the glass, depending on how strong you want the color.

Step 4 – Finally, add 1 Alka-Seltzer tablet to the glass. Watch as the tablet dissolves in the water layer, releasing bubbles that mix with the food coloring and rise through the oil layer.

Key Principles

• Chemical compounds, such as oil and water, are made up of different elements. These elements are bonded together to make molecules. Water is made up of hydrogen and oxygen. Oil is made up of mostly carbon and hydrogen. Because oxygen and hydrogen form polar bonds and carbon and hydrogen form non-polar bonds, these materials do not mix. They behave like magnets repelling each other, but on a molecular level.
• The Alka-Seltzer is made of citric acid (powder) and sodium bicarbonate (powder), which is a base. When the Alka-Seltzer is added to water, the water allows the acid and base powders to react together. The reaction produces carbon dioxide gas, released as bubbles, and sodium citrate salt, which you see on the bottom of the glass after the reaction.
• Since gas is less dense than liquid, the bubbles rise through the water layer, mix the food coloring, and carry it through the oil layer, before they pop on the surface. The food coloring is water based, so it falls back through the oil layer, settling in the water layer.
• It’s interesting to note that the acid-base reaction in this experiment is “endothermic.” That means it absorbs heat from the water while reacting, which actually cools the water by the end of the reaction. 

Want to do more?

• What do you think would happen if you did this with very cold water? 
• What about very hot water?
• What if, instead of water, you used a clear soda, such as 7-Up or Sprite?
• If you add different liquids to the glass, do they settle into the water layer or the oil layer? This can tell you if the liquid is “water-based” or “oil-based.” What about juice? Salad dressing? Ketchup? Mustard? Vinegar?

Share your experiment fun

Did your experiment go as planned? Were there any surprises? What might you do differently next time? Tell us about your experience through words and pictures on our Facebook page! Be sure to tag @AndersenWindows and use #AndersenWindows with #SummerScience. 

Thanks for joining our Andersen scientists and adding STEM into your summer! 

The post Summer Science – Episode 3: Alka-Seltzer Lava Lamp appeared first on Renewal by Andersen of Alaska.

This week’s Summer Science activity comes courtesy of Renewal by Andersen Engineer Suzan Cox.

Suzan Cox and her daughter test the density of ice.

SUPPLIES 

• 2 glasses or jars 
• Paraffin wax such as Gulf Wax (available in the baking aisle at grocery stores) 
• Ice cubes 
• Medium-sized pot 

Step 1 – An adult should help with this step. Fill the pot 2-3″ high with water. Put a block of wax in a jar and set it in the water. Turn the stove on low and wait for the wax to melt. 

Step 2 – Fill the other jar with water. 

Step 3 – An adult should help with this step. Cut a square of wax in the shape of an ice cube and set it aside.  

Step 4 – Get an ice cube out of the freezer and set it aside. 

Step 5 – An adult should help with this step. When the wax is melted, pull the jar out of the pot and set the it next to the jar of water. 

Step 6 – Drop the ice cube in the water and the wax cube in the melted wax. Watch what is different. Why might that be? 

KEY PRINCIPLES

• Density is how compact a material is. Density is the mass (or weight) divided by the volume it takes up. It is often expressed as grams per ml or kg/m^3.   
• There are three main states of matter: solid, liquid and gas. Gases are the least dense. Usually solids are the most dense state of matter. 
• Ice (solid water) has a crystal structure with a lot of open space. That is why it is less dense than liquid water and ice cubes float. Wax has a dense crystal structure that is more typical of solids, that is why solid wax sinks.  

WANT TO DO MORE?

• Can you measure the density of your ice cube and wax cube?  
• Try this: use a kitchen scale to measure the weight of each cube.  
• Then measure the volume by filling a liquid measuring cup with ½ a cup of water. Add your cube. What is the difference in volume? That change in volume is the volume of your cube. 
• Divide the mass by the volume to find the density. 
• Don’t be alarmed if the results aren’t what you expect. Your kitchen equipment may not be precise enough to accurately measure the cube density.  

SHARE YOUR EXPERIMENT FUN!

Did your experiment go as planned? Were there any surprises? What might you do differently next time? Tell us about your experience through words and pictures on our Facebook page! Be sure to tag @AndersenWindows and use #AndersenWindows with #SummerScience.  

Thanks for joining our Andersen scientists and adding STEM into your summer!

The post Summer Science – Episode 2: Density of Ice Activity appeared first on Renewal by Andersen of Alaska.

Many of us have kids at home with far fewer activities than they have had in the past. The scientists at Andersen want to help you this summer by sharing fun experiments your kids can do at home.

Today is the launch of the new “Summer Science” web series, sponsored by the cross-enterprise STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering, Math) Steering Committee. The weekly series will allow kids of all ages to stay engaged with science over the summer with hands-on activities.

Volunteers from across Andersen’s RD&I will be creating the bulk of the content, with additional videos being contributed from other Andersen departments across the enterprise. All of the experiments are activities kids can do with common household items, although some may need the help of a parent.

SEE THE ATTACHED INSTRUCTIONS TO GET STARTED WITH YOUR KIDS!

Says Renewal’s Director of RD&I, Katherine Graham, “There will be a wide variety of topics including chemistry, design, mechanical engineering, and physics…to name just a few! These are projects that all ages and skill levels should be able to enjoy and learn from—younger kids can do the basic experiment; older ones can use it as a starting point to play around with the materials to create different outcomes—they can guess what will happen first, then try it out to continue learning in a fun way.”

STEM skills are critical skills for the employment force of the future—and of course, they are the foundation for research and innovation. Access to fun and intriguing activities like those in Summer Science can play a key role in encouraging kids to explore their interests in those areas.

Given that it is summer break—without a lot of summer’s normal activities, coupled with some of the limitations on lab work because of homeschooling, now is the ideal time for the series to launch, continues Graham. “We noticed that virtual learning experiences in science for kids were limited over the past couple of months due to online education. Many school districts were hesitant to require hands-on experimentation. Of course, not all programs were like this, but we saw an opportunity to offer some science content at home that we thought would allow kids to stay engaged with science over the summer.”

Andersen_Summer-Science_Bottle-Boat-Activity

The post Summer Science – Episode 1: Bottle Boat Activity appeared first on Renewal by Andersen of Alaska.