Everything Kids' Magical Science Experiments Book by Tim Robinson Page A

number of “magical” experiments. Many produce results that are unexpected, surprising, and initially unexplainable. But this is a science book, not a magic book. You will be shown the science behind the apparent magic, so that you can pass it along to others. You will also be challenged to take your newfound knowledge to a deeper level, by asking questions that will let you explore the concepts you are learning. At the end of each chapter, you will find an idea for a science-fair project, which is really just a more complete science experiment that you could perform over the course of a few days, weeks, or months.
    As you begin, think about science as the search for explanations of common and not-so-common experiences. By the time you finish this book, you should clearly see the difference between the magic of a trained professional and the science you can do in your own home.
    The experiments are organized into common themes. Each experiment is preceded by a question, which then leads to a process known as the Scientific Method. This process allows questions to lead to investigations, which lead to results, conclusions, and possibly, new questions.
    The Scientific Method includes five important parts:
Ask a question about something that happens in the world around you.
Make up a possible explanation for this event. This is called a hypothesis.
Design an experiment to test your hypothesis.
Complete the experiment and record your results.
Analyze your results and use them to come to a conclusion about your hypothesis.
    Scientists have been using this method for centuries to explore the magical and mysterious things they see around them. Now it's your turn—let the adventure begin!

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Running Hot and Cold

    W hat is summer like where you live? Is it hot and humid? Do you wish you had a personal air conditioner you could carry with you wherever you go? What about winter? Are the streets continually covered with snow and ice, and do the cloudy, cold days seem to last forever?
    One of the most remarkable changes that takes place over the course of a year, no matter where you live, is the change in seasons. From the hot, summer days, to the cold, wintry nights, the changes in hot and cold weather always make us take note of the changing seasons.
    The act of heating something up or cooling it down often produces surprising results.
    Science Quote

    â€œWe live in a society dependent on science and technology, in which hardly anyone knows anything about science and technology.”
— Carl Sagan
    In this chapter, you will explore the effects of heating and cooling different materials and the magic that happens when you do. In this chapter, you'll explore the magic of exploding ice, floating water, sharp string, and rising dough.
Try This: Exploding Water
    One of the well-known “facts” about heating and cooling materials is that when things heat up, they expand, and when they cool down, they shrink. As an example, if you were to try to open a jar of spaghetti sauce whose lid was tightly sealed, you might run the lid under hot water. The heat of the water causes the lid to expand just enough to make it easier to open the lid.

    Cold to Hot???
    Add enough heat to cold water and it turns into something completely different — it seems like magic! Follow the directions below to see what you end up with. On the lines provided, write the letters you get after completing each step.
    Similarly, you might notice little cracks in the sidewalks near your house. These are put there on purpose, and they are called expansion joints. In the summer, the concrete usually expands and the cracks are thin. But in the winter, the cracks tend to open wider as the concrete shrinks. But does cooling things always make them shrink?
    Question: Can you “explode” a bottle of water by freezing it?
Materials
A 500-mL bottle of drinking water
Freezer
Marking pen
Procedure
Stand the bottle on a