CRAZYBOTTLEBOTTLE

Sanja Matijašević

AND OTHER

EXPERIMENTS

FOR CHILDREN

Learn and have fun

2

CRAZYBOTTLEBOTTLE

AND OTHER

EXPERIMENTS

FOR CHILDREN

Sanja Matijašević

I’ve always wondered why scientists are depicted as serious and strict people. I

am sure that all of them must have kept a curious inner child within themselves! Maybe this is why I fi nd Einstein interesting. He is mostly depicted with unkempt hair, he is smiling and he has the eyes of a boy. He once said that

imagination is more important than knowledge. That is why I, Curly, invite you to learn something with me on

the wings of imagination, by playing.

imagination is more importaI, Curly, invite you to lear

the wings of imagina

6

UNUSUAL WINTER STORES

Imagine that during hot summer days you could trap sunrays in a jar. Now that would be an excellent winter store! I can already imagine my shelf with three jars of sun rays, two jars of spring breeze and a bottle of warm summer rain - including the rainbow. While trying to make this wish come true, I managed only to trap a tornado in a bottle. I’ll show it to you only if you promise to never let it out of the bottle. Promise?

2 l plastic bottle

water some dishwashing

liquid

pepper

W

hat you need:

plastic bottleliquid

7

2. Shake well the contents of the bottle by making small circular movements.

3. Once you stop the shaking, you’ll enjoy the amazing sight of a tornado. Bring the bottle close to a sunny window and the tornado will be even more visible.

1. Pour water in the plastic bottle (until it’s a little bit more than half full), add a drop of dishwashing liquid and a spoonful of pepper. Close the bottle well and turn it upside down.

Just between you and me: ust between you and me: When the water is circling, its

parts achieve different speed. The part of the water closer

to the center is moving faster than the others, which causes

the forming of a vortex which looks like a tornado.

8

WHAT SHOULD I WEAR

two

identical

glasses

a white t-shirt

and a black

t-shirt

a room

thermometer

four

clothespins and

some water

W

hat you need:

When dressing is concerned, I meet a bunch of problems every day. My sister keeps bugging me: Why did I wear this sweater with that shirt? Jeans with orange sewing do not match with that sweatshirt! Stripes are out of fashion! Horrible! But when I found out that one look through the window is enough to decide on a lighter or darker color of clothes, things became a little easier. Here is the secret.

9

Just between you and me: ust between you and me: Dark surfaces (such as the black

t-shirt) absorb more light and warmth than the brighter surfaces.

That is why in summer time we should wear brightly colored clothes

in order to feel more comfortable and less hot.

2. Pour equal amounts of water in the glasses and leave them in a sunny place for 2-3 hours.

3. Use the thermometer to measure the temperature of water in the glass wrapped with the white shirt, and then in the glass wrapped with the black shirt. Why is the water temperature different? They were heated by the same sun, weren’t they?

1. Wrap the t-shirts around the glasses (so that the openings are free and that the glasses remain in an upright position).

10

THE SUBMARINE CAPTAIN

I can be the captain of a submarine whenever I want to. I only have to wear my sailor’s shirt, lift up my left eyebrow and start to give orders: Submerge! Surface! Enemy in sight, dive quickly! The crew is obedient, so I can observe with satisfaction how the submarine slowly dives into the watery depths… You think all of this was a dream? No, no… Rub your eyes, make sure you’re awake and make your own submarine.

a transparent

2 l plastic

bottle

a cup a test tube

(or the

packaging of

a vanilla stick)

water

W

hat you need:

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Just between you and me: ust between you and me: The pressure applied by your hand is

transferred to the water, which fi lls the test tube and suppresses

the air within it. Because the air will now fi ll a smaller part of the test

tube, it will dive. Once you decrease the pressure to the bottle,

the water will leave the test tube, the air will expand and the test

tube will move upwards (it will surface).

2. Take out the test tube, and fill the bottle with water to the very top. Close the test tube with your finger, turn it upside down, and then immerse it in the water. Be careful and make sure that the water and the air do not leave the test tube. Close the bottle well.

3. Squeeze the bottle with your hand and the submarine will dive. Once you release the bottle, the submarine will surface. Try to modify the strength of your pressure. This is how you’ll be able to define the depth in which you’d like the submarine to stay.

1. Fill the bottle with water almost all the way to the top. Put the test tube in the bottle with the opening on top and slowly pour water in it, until its top is a bit above the opening of the bottle.

12

THE SECRET OF THE LEANING TOWER

One September morning the postman brought me my friend Dejan’s postcard from Italy. I’ve looked at it and I could not believe my eyes. Did anybody among all of these buildings and sculptures notice that a tower was leaning? Would it fall? Somebody should warn all the tourists about this! Dejan laughed his heart out when I told this to him. The leaning tower in Pisa has still not fallen, and I’ve done some research and discovered its secret.

a package of dominoes or ten books

of the same size

W

hat you need:

13

Just between you and me: ust between you and me: Your tower and you are stable as long as your

center (the focal point of your mass) is situated above its footing. The

footing of the tower is the fi rst domino, and with you it’s your feet. Once

the center of your stomach (your bellybutton) crosses the tips of your

toes while you’re leaning, you are no longer stable and you might fall.

2. Try again, first with a smaller, and then with a bigger distance between the edges of the dominoes. What determines how many dominoes you can stack up before the tower collapses?

3. Try to imitate the Leaning Tower. Stand straight and then start to lean forward without bending your back. Stop leaning when you feel you’ll fall!

1. Use the dominoes to make a tower, by putting them on top of each other, but try not to have them overlapping completely, rather try to make them look like a staircase. Try to stack up as many dominoes as possible. Oh, no! The tower collapsed!

14

THE CIRCUS IS IN TOWN

a hair dryer

a ping-pong

ball

a piece of rope

2 chairs a table cloth 2 clothespins

W

hat you need:

Fearless lion tamers, funny clowns, skillful jugglers… Nothing is as breathtaking as a circus show. That’s why, whenever I notice that the members of my household start to yawn because they’re bored, I run through the house and shout: The circus is here! The circus is here! I gather all of them in the living room; I make a bow and present the star of the show - the fl oating ball. Let the show start!

15

Just between you and me: ust between you and me: The air from the hair dryer

encompasses the ball and in this way keeps it at a certain

height in the air. The ball is trapped in this air, and it’s

forced to follow the movements of the hair dryer.

2. Behind the stage (tablecloth) switch on the hair dryer and point it towards the ceiling. Slowly place the ping-pong ball over the hair dryer. It will remain floating in the air.

3. Raise the hair dryer until the ball appears above the tablecloth. The star of the show has arrived! Move the hair dryer from right to left, up and down. The ball will still float, but it will follow the movements of the hair dryer.

1. Tie the rope to the backs of the chairs. Place the tablecloth over it and fasten it with clothespins. The stage is ready.

16

MUSICAL GLASSES

4 identical

glassessome water a pencilW

hat you need:

The kitchen in my house is the room which hides the most secrets. I like to use every opportunity I have to peak in the drawers, among the pots and pans… Each time I discover something new. One day I discovered that the set of glasses we received from grandma last winter has an unusual talent. Can you imagine, these glasses produce different tones, and you can use them to play music. I’m sure that there is an identical set of glasses lying around in your kitchen. Go and check!

17

Just between you and me: ust between you and me: Once you strike a glass with a pencil, it starts

to tremble. These small vibrations are transmitted from the glass through

the air to the water. The glass with the least air (the most water)

produces the lowest tone, whereas the glass with the most air (the least

water) produces the highest tone.

2. Make a small distance between the glasses and then gently strike each of them with the pencil.

3. Combine different numbers of strokes against different glasses and you’ll have your first composition. Why do the glasses produce different tones even though they are the same in size and shape?

1. Place the glasses next to each other. Pour water in each of the glasses, so that the first glass contains the least water and the last one the most water.

Let’s play and

learn together!

What would you like to be? A curious

scientist, a great mathematician, or an

explorer? In this book you’ll find suggestions

for games and fun tasks which will help you

discover various interesting things

from the wonderful world that

surrounds you.

Learn and have fun

gamefor g es adisccover v

frrom th

WhWciesscloreexpl