fire paper experiment

• 1 air freshener spray
• 1 large bowl
• Liquid dish soap
• 1 lighter or burning candle (for igniting the bubbles)
• Safety equipment: 1 fire extinguisher, 1 bucket of water, 1 pair of safety goggles
• Something may catch fire.
• Someone may burn themselves.
• Do the demonstration in the company of an adult with experience of fire.
• Wear safety goggles.
• Have a fire extinguisher ready.
• Have a bucket of water ready.
• The arm you will use must be thoroughly soaked with water.
• Hold your bubbles as far away from your face as you can. Also keep your hand above hair height and with the palm facing up. Make your palm flat.
• If the ceiling is low - sit on a chair.
• Do not do the demonstration outdoors, as the slightest wind can cause the flame to reach your face.
• Practice what to do if something catches fire or if someone burn themselves.

Short explanation

Long explanation.

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Thermal decomposition of nitrates: ‘writing with fire’

In association with Nuffield Foundation

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Make an invisible message ‘glow’ by applying a lighted splint to filter paper treated with sodium nitrate in this demonstration

In this experiment, students observe as a message is written on filter paper with a solution of sodium nitrate, before being dried to render it invisible. As the teacher applies a lighted splint to the start of the message, the treated paper begins to glow and smolder, revealing the hidden message.

The demonstration takes about 10–15 minutes. It could be a student activity, but with a large class it will need a well-ventilated laboratory .

The message drawn on the paper should be such that when the treated areas burn through, the letters, and the sheet of paper as a whole, remain intact.

• Eye protection
• Filter or blotting paper sheets – as large as possible
• Wooden splints
• Hot-air blower, eg Hair dryer (see note 4 below)
• Small paint brush
• Beaker, 100 cm 3
• Stirring rod
• Sodium nitrate(V) (OXIDISING, HARMFUL), about 10 g

Health, safety and technical notes

• Read our standard health and safety guidance.
• Wear eye protection throughout. 
• Sodium nitrate(V), NaNO 3 (s), (WARNING: OXIDISING; HARMFUL) – see CLEAPSS Hazcard HC082 .
• Make sure the hot-air blower is electrical safety tested. If a hot-air blower is not available, judicious use of a Bunsen flame or an oven provides an alternative method for drying the paper.

Before the demonstration 

Make a saturated solution of sodium nitrate by adding about 10 g of solid to 10 cm 3  of water and stirring.

For the demonstration

• Using a small paintbrush (or a length of wooden splint), write a message on the absorbent paper. Use joined up writing! Design the message so that the sheet of paper will remain in one piece after the message has burnt through.
• Thoroughly dry the message using a hot-air blower, or by holding the paper well above a Bunsen flame. The message will be virtually invisible, so mark the start of it with a light pencil mark.
• Fix the paper where the audience can see it easily, and away from combustible material.
• Apply a glowing splint to the start of the message until the treated paper starts to glow and char.
• Remove the splint and watch as the glow and charring work their way along the message, leaving the untreated paper untouched.

Teaching notes

If lesson time is limited, the writing of the message and the drying process could be carried out before the demonstration begins.

This experiment could be used to introduce the fire triangle: fuel, oxygen and energy.

With older students, the demonstration could be used to revise the equations for the decomposition of nitrates. In this particular case, sodium nitrate decomposes to give sodium nitrite (sodium nitrate(III)) and oxygen, and it is the oxygen released which helps to promote the burning process and produce the glow and charring:

2NaNO 3 (s) → 2NaNO 2 (s) + O 2 (g)

Most other nitrates will also produce a similar effect, but potassium nitrate is less effective because it is less soluble and some other nitrates may give off very toxic nitrogen dioxide when they decompose.

Additional information

This is a resource from the  Practical Chemistry project , developed by the Nuffield Foundation and the Royal Society of Chemistry.

Practical Chemistry activities accompany  Practical Physics  and  Practical Biology .

The experiment is also part of the Royal Society of Chemistry’s Continuing Professional Development course:  Chemistry for non-specialists .

© Nuffield Foundation and the Royal Society of Chemistry

• 11-14 years
• 14-16 years
• Demonstrations
• Reactions and synthesis

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“Fire picture” experiment

How to make a paper drawing smolder

How can you burn a pic­ture onto pa­per us­ing a chem­i­cal re­ac­tion? In this sim­ple ex­per­i­ment, we’ll show you how!

Safe­ty pre­cau­tions

Wear pro­tec­tive gloves and glass­es. Ob­serve safe­ty rules when work­ing with fire and flammable ob­jects.

Reagents and equip­ment:

• sat­u­rat­ed so­lu­tion of potas­si­um ni­trate;

Step-by-step in­struc­tions

To pre­pare the sat­u­rat­ed so­lu­tion of potas­si­um ni­trate , dis­solve 50 g of salt in 40 ml of hot wa­ter. Then ap­ply the so­lu­tion to the pa­per in a thick lay­er with a brush. Leave the “draw­ing” for 20 min­utes, so that it dries (dry­ing time de­pends on the tem­per­a­ture in the room). Then touch the “draw­ing”. Watch the pic­ture ap­pear!

Dozens of experiments you can do at home

One of the most exciting and ambitious home-chemistry educational projects The Royal Society of Chemistry

• Science Glossary
• Science Resources

Burning up the Paper with a Magnifying Glass

 Safety 

 materials list .

•  Magnifying glass
•  Paper
•  Sunglasses
•  A sunny day

 Instruction 

 Troubleshooting 

 question to ask ,  scientific description ,  extensions .

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How to Make Colored Fire at Home

It’s easy to make colored fire at home in the fireplace or a campfire. All you need to do is sprinkle on a salt to color the flames. Here is a list of colorants, the colors they produce, and a look at where to find them.

List of Flame Colorant Chemicals

Many chemicals produce colors in a fire, but not all of them are readily available or safe to use. This is a list of common colorant chemicals and the fire colors they produced.

The colors are based on the flame test in chemistry, which uses a blue alcohol or gas flame. When these chemicals are added to a wood fire, a rainbow effect is more likely due to the chemical composition of the fuel.

How to Color Fire

Once you have the colorant chemicals, there are different ways to use them:

• Sprinkle dry colorants onto flames.
• Dissolve the colorants in alcohol and then soak logs in the liquid.
• Dissolve the colorants in water. Soak pinecones, rolled newspapers, sawdust, or cork in the liquid. Allow the fuel to dry and then add it to a fire for a pop of color.

There is no “recipe” for how much colorant to add to water or alcohol. The amount that dissolves depends on the temperature of the liquid and the solubility of the chemical. Basically, just add as much solid as will dissolve in the liquid. If you use less, the color of the fire may not be as intense. If you use too much, you’ll have undissolved solid, which you can recover and use later. Some compounds dissolve better in water, while some dissolve better in alcohol. Test a small amount and decide which method works best for your needs.

Do not mix all the colorants together. You won’t get a rainbow! Most likely, you’ll end up with a yellow fire. This is because sodium (in table salt and also naturally in wood) overwhelms other colors. For a multicolored fire, it’s best to add several pine cones, each treated with one colorant, or a mix of dried colored sawdust. Even with separate colorants, it’s best to avoid adding “yellow” because it’s so bright.

Where to Find Flame Colorants

Most of the flame colorants listed here are available at grocery stores or home supply stores. A few are easier to find online. Some of these chemicals are available either as solids or as liquids. Liquids are fine to use for soaking pinecones or logs, but obviously aren’t a great choice for applying directly to a fire (unless you want to put it out).

Other Ways to Make Colored Fire

Directly adding salts to a fire is the best way to color fire, but it isn’t the only method. Colored flames also result from burning color-print newspaper, magazines, and some plastics, like garden hoses. While these other methods produce colored fire, their combustion may also release toxic fumes. Color-printed paper is reasonably safe to burn, although it may release cinders that can ignite nearby objects. Burning plastic is never a good idea because the smoke contains toxic and potentially carcinogenic chemicals.

Black Flames

Making black flames is possible, too. However, this color works a bit differently because you absorb the colored light from the fire, leaving darkness.

Safety Information

Colored fire is safe in a fireplace or campfire, but it’s probably not wise to cook hotdogs or roast marshmallows over colored flames. For the most part, using salts produces the same smoke as a normal fire. The salts don’t actually burn in the flames, so they remain in the soot rather than in gases around the fire. For this reason, take care where you dispose of ashes. Using Epsom salts may actually help your garden. Plants also appreciate a boost of boron from borax or boric acid, but too much is harmful. Copper salts naturally occur in soil, but copper is toxic to invertebrates like snails and crabs and other organisms, like algae.

Like other home chemicals, flame colorants should be kept out of reach of children and pets. Read and adhere to any warnings on chemical containers.

If you use alcohol as a fuel, please remember that it is much more flammable than wood. Never add alcohol (or any liquid fuel) to a burning fire, or it will react much light lighter fluid!

• Barrow, R. F.; Caldin, E. F. (1949). “Some Spectroscopic Observations on Pyrotechnic Flames”.  Proceedings of the Physical Society . Section B. 62 (1): 32–39. doi: 10.1088/0370-1301/62/1/305
• Natural Resources Canada (2003). Pyrotechnics Special Effects Manual (2nd ed.). Minister of Public Works and Government Services Canada.
• Patnaik, Pradyot (2002). Handbook of Inorganic Chemicals . McGraw-Hill. ISBN 0-07-049439-8

Related Posts

Science Fun

Magic Firefighter Easy Science Experiment

In this fun and easy science experiment we are going to use science to create a chemical reaction that we use to seemingly magically extinguish a fire. 

Important: An adult’s assistance is required for this experiment as flames and matches are involved. 

• Cup, tumbler, or jar that is pint sized or larger
• Baking soda
• Measuring cups and spoons
• Match or lighter
• Tea lights or small candles

Instructions:

• Add about 1/3 cup of vinegar to the cup.
• Have an adult carefully light the tea light or candle.
• Add about 1/2 tablespoon of baking soda to the vinegar.
• Carefully hold the cup at an angle over the flame. Do so in such a way that the vinegar mixture does not pour out. 
• Observe what happens to the flame.

EXPLORE AWESOME SCIENCE EXPERIMENT VIDEOS!

How it Works:

When the vinegar and baking soda mix, an endothermic chemical reaction begins. This chemical reaction releases carbon dioxide. Although you can not see it, the carbon dioxide pours out of the cup once tipped. Since fire needs oxygen, the carbon dioxide smothers the flame and puts it out. 

Make This A Science Project:

Try using different temperatures of vinegar. Try using different amounts of vinegar and baking soda. Have an adult setup several candles and see which amounts of vinegar and baking soda can be used to extinguish the most flames. 

EXPLORE TONS OF FUN AND EASY SCIENCE EXPERIMENTS!

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Fire Science Experiment - Teach kids about an important science concept of fire

Posted by Admin / in Chemistry Experiments

Exploding fire science experiments are wonderful features at live science museum shows. These experiments "wow" the crowd and help to show something about science, but they are not safe unless the building is set up correctly. This fire science experiment is not exploding, but is great for teaching kids about the science of fire.

Materials Needed

• Clear glass jar
• Antacid tablets (must contain sodium bicarbonate)
• Disposable cup
• Table knife or fork
• Small piece of wax-based clay

FIRE SCIENCE EXPERIMENT STEPS

Step 1: Remove the label and completely dry the inside of a clear glass jar. A spaghetti sauce jar works well.

Step 2: *An adult must handle the antacid tablets or an adult must provide close supervision while the kids help with the antacid tablets.* Take an antacid tablet out the package and place it in the bottom of a dry cup. Using the table knife or fork, chop up the antacid tablet into smaller pieces.

Using the table knife or fork, break the antacid tablets into smaller pieces in the bottom of a dry cup.

Step 3: Place a ball of clay on the bottom of the candle. Now press the unlit candle and clay into the bottom of the jar, inside the jar. Using tongs or long needle-nose pliers helps to grip the candle to press it against the glass at the bottom of the jar.

Step 4: Pour the broken antacid tablet pieces around the unlit candle.

Antacid pieces in the bottom of the jar surrounding the candle

Step 5: *An adult must handle lighting the candle.* Light the candle by turning the jar upside down. The flame from the match rises which is why holding the jar upside down helps allow the candle to be lit inside the jar. Turn the jar over and set it on the counter.

Have an adult carefully light the candle

Step 6: Tip the jar slightly and carefully pour the water in the jar around the candle, without pouring it over the flame.

Quickly, but carefully pour the water around the lit candle, but do not extinguish the flame

Step 7: Observe the reaction taking place within the mixture of water and tablet pieces.

The sodium bicarbonate reacts with water resulting in CO 2 gas. The bubbles in the jar is the result of CO 2 gas being produced.

Step 8: Watch the candle for the next minute or two. The candle will start to crackle, then eventually burn out.

As C0 2 gas is produced from the chemical reaction, other gases inside the jar are pushed out.

SCIENCE LEARNED

The bubbles you saw as soon as the water was added to the antacid pieces was carbon dioxide gas being released. Antacid contains sodium bicarbonate (NaHCO 3 ), which is also known as baking soda. Sodium bicarbonate is a weak base. When antacid is combined with water it reacts quickly, resulting in the release of sodium, water and carbon dioxide. Using smashed up pieces of the antacid helps speed up the reaction.

The second interesting thing that happened in this experiment was what happened to the fire. The lit candle in this experiment was using oxygen to continue to burn. When the carbon dioxide is released it starts to mix with the oxygen-rich air in the jar. Carbon dioxide gas is heavier than oxygen but this is not why the flame is extinguished. As more and more carbon dioxide gas is released by the antacid reaction there just is not enough oxygen left in the jar for the fire to continue. At first, the flame may crackle, but then finally it will stop burning.

Did you know that there are carbon dioxide fire extinguishers? CO 2 (carbon dioxide) fire extinguishers work by moving the oxygen away from the location of the fire, extinguishing the flames. Now that we have seen the results of the fire experiment we know why these types of fire extinguishers work well.

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Egg in Vinegar Experiment

in Chemistry Experiments

Experiment with the chemical reaction between vinegar and an eggshell.

Copper Plating Experiment

Experiment with copper ions by adding copper plating to an iron nail.

Stringy Goo Experiment

Make slimy, stringy goo with a gross, but fun chemistry experiment for kids.

Antioxidant Experiment

Use food to show kids different materials that are used to preserve food with this antioxidant experiment.

Lemon Battery Experiment

in Energy & Electricity Experiments

Use either lemons or potatoes to generate electricity. This experiment is a great to teach kids about energy storage.

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Science Experiments

Egg in a Bottle Science Experiment

Can eggs move by themselves? Maybe not, but with the help of air pressure, they can be pushed into a glass bottle without being touched!

In this experiment, your young scientists will learn about density and air pressure. And when you watch our demonstration video, you’ll see that although things didn’t go exactly as we expected, this experiment is always fun and educational. Printable instructions and a materials list are included.

JUMP TO SECTION: Instructions | Video Tutorial | How it Works

Supplies Needed

• Hard-Boiled Egg (shell removed)
• Glass Bottle
• Thick Piece of Paper
• Match or Lighter

Safety Note: Because the experiment involves fire, adult supervision is required.

Egg in a Bottle Science Lab Kit – Only $5

Use our easy Egg in a Bottle Science Lab Kit to grab your students’ attention without the stress of planning!

It’s everything you need to  make science easy for teachers and fun for students  — using inexpensive materials you probably already have in your storage closet!

Egg in a Bottle Science Experiment Instructions

Step 1 – Remove the shell from the hard-boiled egg and place it on the mouth of the jar. Take a moment to make some observations. Why doesn’t the egg fit into the jar? Do you think it is possible to put the egg inside the jar? Do you think it is possible for the egg to move into the jar without touching it?

Step 2 –  Remove the egg from the jar and set it on the table nearby. Make sure that you place it within reach because you’ll need to move quickly once it’s time to place the egg on the bottle again. 

Step 2 – Get your strip of thick paper ready. Note that using thick paper is important because you need something that won’t burn too quickly when you light it on fire. We tore off a piece from an index card. Construction paper would also work nicely.

Carefully use a lighter to light the piece of paper on fire. Safety Note: Remember to always use safety measures when dealing with fire. Adult supervision is required.

Step 4 – Once the paper is burning, carefully but quickly drop it into the glass bottle.

Step 5 – Immediately after you put the paper in the bottle, place the egg on the top of the bottle.

Step 6 – Watch as the egg begins to slowly move into the bottle. If you are lucky the egg will stay in one piece as it moves into the bottle. Or if you are like us, the egg will eventually split as it is squeezed into the mouth of the bottle. Watch the Egg in a Bottle Experiment Video Tutorial to see what happens to our egg.

Were you surprised when the egg began to move into the jar? Do you know why it did? Read the how does this experiment work section before to find the answer. 

Egg in a Bottle Science Experiment Video Tutorial

How Does the Experiment Work?

Air has mass, so it has other properties like pressure and density. Air is able to push or crush objects when given the opportunity. We don’t often see air pushing or crushing objects because air molecules surrounding objects push on objects equally in all directions. In this experiment, you get to see the power of air!

Air pressure is the reason the egg moves into the bottle without us touching the egg. Let’s go over exactly what happened.

When we started the experiment, the air pressure inside the bottle was the same as the air pressure outside of the bottle because the air inside the bottle and outside the bottle was the same temperature.

After we placed the burning paper in the bottle, the air inside the bottle began to heat up and expand. A few seconds after we placed the egg on top of the bottle, the fire went out and the paper stopped burning. This caused the air inside the bottle to cool down and contract.

When the air contracts, the air pressure inside the bottle becomes less than the air pressure outside the bottle. This gives the higher air pressure outside of the bottle the opportunity to push the egg down into the bottle.

I hope you enjoyed the experiment. Here are some printable instructions:

• Hard Boiled Egg (Shell Removed)

Instructions

• Position the egg near the empty bottle. This is needed because you have to move fast once it is time to place the egg on the bottle.
• Take a strip of thick paper. Think paper is important, because you need something that won’t burn too quickly when you light it on fire during the next step. Helpful Tip: I used a piece of index card. Construction paper would also work nicely.
• Light the piece of paper and drop it into the bottle. Remember to always use safety measures when dealing with fire.
• Once the paper is burning, carefully but quickly drop it into the glass bottle.
• Immediately after you put the paper in the bottle, place the egg on the top of the bottle.
• Watch as the egg begins to slowly move into the bottle. Helpful Tip: If you are lucky the egg will stay in one piece as it moves into the bottle. Or if you are like us, the egg will eventually split as it is squeezed into the mouth of the bottle. Watch the Egg in a Bottle Experiment Video to see what happens to our egg.

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How-To: Fireproof Paper

By Sean Michael Ragan

Sean michael ragan.

I am descended from 5,000 generations of tool-using primates. Also, I went to college and stuff. I am a long-time contributor to MAKE magazine and makezine.com. My work has also appeared in ReadyMade , c't – Magazin für Computertechnik , and The Wall Street Journal.

Thanks to Ron Tozier for sharing this video.

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Fire Safety Science Experiment And The Invention That Came Out Of It

In the early 1800’s, mining was a prolific industry in England .

It was also quite prolific at taking people’s lives.

It was a dangerous business.

The mines were full of methane gas and the workers worked using oil lamp.

Not a very clever combination.

This caused a lot of mine explosions taking many miners lives.

But one day, England’s leading Chemist,  Sir Humphry Davy  went on an experimental quest to stop such explosions from happening .

And after burning many a  midnight candle 🙂  , he finally discovered that if you put a metal gauge around a candle flame, the light could still pass through but it wasn’t too hot to start a fire.

Today, we’re going to do a fire safety science experiment to explore this same concept that Sir Humphry Davy discovered using two very simple things: strips of paper and a metal strainer.

Questions To Ask Before The Experiment:

• How quickly does paper burn when you light it up with a match?
• Do you think there’s a way to stop paper from burning?
• Why do you think we need a metal strainer for this experiment?

For the materials, you will need:

• strips of paper
• METAL strainer

Step by Step Procedure:

This is a fun easy experiment for kids . But since the experiment uses fire, this requires adult supervision.

• First, test how quickly paper burns. Using a match, burn a strip of paper and see how quickly it burns. If you have a bigger area (and again! adult supervision required!), burn many strips of paper at the same time and see how quickly that burns.
• Next, put the paper strips in a strainer and let the magic begin.
• Using a match (as step no. 1 above) burn the paper from under the strainer, so that the strainer is between the paper and the fire.
• See what happens to the paper. It doesn’t burn, right? You can keep doing this and the paper still will not light up.

Observation Of This Fire Experiment

You may have noticed that there was smoke but this largely came from the heat in the strainer.

What do you think is happening here? What is it with the strainer that made the fire impossible to burn?

Quick & Easy Explanation

To explain this activity, we need to get back to a basic Chemistry concept, autoignition.

This states that things have a specific temperature at which they ignite. This is the point when something starts to burn.

There needs to be a certain temperature before paper is going to burn. This came very quickly when we  directly burned the paper with the match.

However, in the succeeding step, we used a metal strainer in between the match and the paper.

And this is where the “magic” happened.

The magic is in the metal strainer.

Placed in between the fire and the paper, the strainer is now taking  up most of the heat.

In this way, the heat that reaches the paper is much lower than its point of ignition. This is why the paper couldn’t burn at all.

Think of the strainer as the buffer. He’s the one taking it all and getting all the “damage”.

This Fire Safety Experiment and The Safety Lamp That Saved Many Lives

As you can see from the title of this article, the concept behind this fire safety experiment has saved many people’s lives.

I wonder exactly how Humphry Davy came about with the experiment. He probably tested a lot of different materials until he realized the metallic gauge could do this. What a lightbulb moment that must have been! [Updated: Just found Royal Institution’s video below showing the different prototypes!]

When he realized that the metal gauge could do this, he immediately made the first prototype of the safety lamp.

And voila! The very first Humphry Davy’s lamp was born.

Video: The Lamp That Saved 1000 Lives

Here’s the video from the Royal Institution Youtube channel. If you want some more videos of science experiments, educational toy reviews and general family-friendly stuff, don’t forget to subscribe to the Gally Kids Youtube channel!

Balloon and Jar Air Pressure Experiment

by Science Explorers | Mar 29, 2021 | Blog | 0 comments

Air pressure experiments for children are a fun way to introduce kids to a new scientific concept. Kids and adults alike have a blast with this balloon and jar air pressure experiment. The experiment shows children what happens when the air pressure inside a jar changes by using just a few materials. It’s the perfect lesson for elementary school-age children with adult supervision.

Learn more about our virtual and in-person science camps!

What You’ll Need

To perform the experiment, you’ll need:

• Water balloon.
• Piece of paper.

Safety Note

This experiment uses fire. Children must be supervised and should not perform the experiment on their own.

How to Conduct the Experiment

Follow these instructions to suck a water balloon into a jar using air pressure:

• Fill the balloon:   Fill the water balloon until it’s slightly wider than the neck of the jar and tie the balloon.
• Place the balloon on the jar:   Place the jar on a flat surface and rest the balloon on top of the open jar.
• Demonstrate with the water balloon:   Help the kids push down slightly on the balloon to show them it won’t fit inside the jar.
• Remove balloon:   After demonstrating, remove the balloon from the container.
• Get your matches:   Light a piece of paper with a match and drop it in the jar.
• Place the balloon again:   When the fire starts to grow, place the balloon back over the mouth of the jar.
• Watch the reactions:   Observe what happens to the balloon and the fire. The balloon will begin to shake, and the fire will be extinguished as the balloon is sucked into the jar. The balloon will be sucked about halfway into the container.
• Let the kids try:   Once the fire has died and the jar has cooled, have the children try to remove the balloon. It will be a little challenging!
• Safely remove the balloon:   To remove the water balloon from the jar, start by turning the jar sideways. Place your finger between the container and the balloon to release the suction. The balloon should come out easily after that.

Children will love doing this experiment over and over. To make this air pressure experiment even more fun for kids, let each child pick a balloon to decorate before you fill it with water. This allows children to observe any differences between how the balloons behave, such as which balloon was most difficult to remove and which one worked best.

The Science Behind the Experiment

This experiment is all about air pressure. When you first place the filled balloon atop the jar, air pressure prevents you from pushing it inside. The air trapped inside the jar has nowhere to go, since the balloon covers the opening. At this point, the air pressure within the jar is the same as the air pressure outside it, making it impossible to fit the balloon in.

But when you add the lit piece of paper to the jar, things change. The burning paper causes the air inside the jar to heat up and expand. As the fire grows, the air in the jar will start escaping around the sides of the balloon. When the balloon begins shaking that’s how you know the air is escaping.

The balloon acts as a one-way valve, allowing air within the jar to escape but preventing new air from entering. With less air in the jar, the air pressure drops. At this point, the air pressure within the jar is lower than outside it, which causes the balloon to get sucked in.

Learn About Science Summer Camps at Science Explorers

If you’re looking for more fun science activities for your child, we have the perfect programs at Science Explorers. Learn more about our   virtual and in-person summer science camps   and   contact us   for additional information.

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Get The Lesson

In this lesson, we address the science behind wildfire and address some critical questions: is the season getting longer? Are fires getting worse? What should we do about that?

Get this lesson:  You can download the full packet here  or read a condensed version of this unit below.

Worksheet: Download just the worksheet or there’s a copy included in the packet.

Wildland fire occurrence and suppression has had a long and varied history in our country.  For most of the 20th century, any form of wildland fire, whether natural or human caused, was quickly suppressed for fear of uncontrollable destruction. Today policies have evolved to using fire as a tool, such as controlled burns.  Climate change has increased the frequency and severity of wildfires creating “100 year” fires every couple years.

Historically fire would help clean out the understory an d dead plant matter in a forest, allowing native tree species to grow with less competition for nutrients. Native Americans would often burn woodlands to reduce overgrowth and increase grasslands for large prey animals such as bison and elk . When the US Forest Service was established in 1905 fire suppression became the only fire policy for the next 50 years. In 1968 the National Park Service changed its policy to recognize fire as an ecological process. 

Video resources:

Interactive map of fire alerts on world map – Global Forest Watch’s interactive map of global fire activity shows where in the world there’s been a fire in the past 24 hours.

Why Are There So Many Fires? – A video from The Guardian with great visuals addressing why the amount of fires has increased so much.

Fire tornado in Loyalton fire – A short video clip of a fire tornado caused by the Loyalton, California fire in August 2020.

Sample Research Project:

Matchstick Forest Demonstration: Students learn how wildfires behave and spread by placing matches in a variety of configurations. This sample experiment can be adapted for many grade levels.

Sample Research Questions: 

• How does the fire change depending on the configuration of the matches
• Is more smoke produced when the matches are close together or far apart?
• How long does it take to burn all the matches when they are close together?
• How far apart do the matches have to be to not burn when one is lit?
• What happens when some matches are taller than others?

NGSS Standards:

MS-LS2-3; MS-LS2-4 Ecosystems: Interactions, Energy, and Dynamics

HS-LS2-6; HSLS2-7; HS-LS2-8 Ecosystems: Interactions, Energy, and Dynamics

• Analyzing and interpreting data
• Constructing Explanations and designing solutions
• Planning and carrying out investigations
• Obtaining, evaluating, and communicating information
• Cause and effect
• Stability and change
• Systems and system models

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Megan Joyce

Communications Director and Research Program Manager

Megan Joyce works at the intersection between science, education, and storytelling as a communications consultant. She has worked to advance conservation in the US with Defenders of Wildlife, the Wolf Conservation Center, and NOAA, and works globally with Reverse the Red. Megan has also consulted with child and family services stakeholder engagement in San Francisco. Megan graduated from Cornell University with a B.S. in Environmental and Sustainability Sciences and from Syracuse University with an MPA in Environmental Policy.

In her free time, Megan is often outsides hiking, rowing, coaching adaptive skiing, or taking photos of wildlife!

Chase Oishi

Program Coordinator of the Bay Area

Program and Fundraising Manager

Rian Fried graduated from Brandeis University with a double major with B.A.s in Environmental Studies and International and Global Studies and a minor in Economics. He has worked at summer camps and most recently Supervised the program ambassadors for Sierra Nevada Alliance. He joined Headwaters because of his passion for science! He moved to Tahoe a few months after graduating for the winter season and fell in love with the area. In Rian’s free time, he loves skiing, rock climbing, mountain biking, and basically anything else outside.

Katie Cannon

Program Manager of the Bay Area

Katie is the Program Manager of the Bay Area, managing after school and summer camps. Katie is originally from North Carolina and just recently made the move to California. She has her degree in special education and is working on her master of arts in biology through Project Dragonfly out of Miami University in Ohio. When not working, Katie loves to hang out with her rescue dog Charley and explore new areas in her new hometown.

Morgan Long

Program Manager

Morgan manages school programs and summer camps in the Tahoe, Reno and Sacramento areas. She has a Master’s degree in ecology, evolution and conservation biology from the University of Nevada, Reno where she studied black bear denning and hibernation. Morgan is excited to share her excitement for research and ecology with Headwaters students. Originally from Minnesota, she loves any activity that involves snow.

Savannah Blide

Program and Fundraising Assistant

Savannah graduated with a degree in Environmental Studies and Public Policy from UC Berkeley. Her thesis was on social and policy dimensions of public lands protection. Savannah grew up in Truckee and is passionate about protecting our environment and engaging others in her love of nature. She loves food systems and being outside, and has most recently worked as a farmer in Nevada County. In her free time, she is happiest swimming in the river, mountain biking, and trying new recipes.

Megan Seifert

Executive Director

Megan holds a PhD in zoology from Washington State University and is passionate about science and the environment. Her focus is on teaching more people the process of science and she hopes to bring it to as many students as possible across the US. In her free time, Meg enjoys Nordic skiing, running, and playing with her family in the Sierra.

Anne Espeset

Grants and Programs

Anne  holds a Ph.D. in Ecology, Evolution, and Conservation Biology from the University of Nevada, Reno where she researched the impacts of human-induced changes on sexually selected signals of a butterfly. She has also been a part of several scientific outreach programs, including a community science project (Pieris Project) and the University of Nevada’s Museum of Natural History.  Anne  is excited to continue sharing the scientific process and research with a diversity of students through the Headwaters Science Institute!