gazette issue 3 | Page 3

St Patrick experiment here are just a few ideas to get your green juices flowing. If you already have science staples like Insta-Snow powder, True Colours tablets, UV Beads or just some green food colouring, you're well on your way to creating a very cool Irish science experience. Leprechauns Strike - Green Water - It's not uncommon for those little Leprechauns to turn everything green... even the water coming out of your faucet. Here's how it works. Green Flowers - It's as simple as adding a little green food colouring to the water, but the effect it has on a white carnation is very cool. Children will be able to see how the water is absorbed into the plant as the petals of the carnation change color. Green Instant Snow - Since everything else is green on St. Patrick's Day, why shouldn't the snow be green, too? You'll need some Instant Snow powder, a few plastic cups, green food coloring and a stirring stick. Place 20-30 drops of green food coloring in an empty cup and add about a tablespoon (about 10 grams) of dry Insta-Snow powder to the cup. Use a stirring stick to mix the powder. The polymer will absorb the green food coloring, but it won't fluff up. Add a few more tablespoons of the dry, white Insta-Snow powder to the green powder and continue to mix. Keep mixing in the dry Insta-Snow until you get the green colour you want. When you're ready to make green snow, place one teaspoon of dry, green Insta-Snow into a clean cup and add about 2 ounces (60 mL) of water. The erupting green snow will be a huge hit! Leprechaun Traps - This is just one example of a simple Leprechaun trap that might spark a new idea. Blarney Beads- At the end of every rainbow is a pot of gold, right? How about a bag of white beads that change to green in the sunlight? If you have the luck of the Irish on St. Patrick's Day, the Leprechauns may leave some Blarney Beads for extra good luck. String the beads on a pipe cleaner and make a Blarney Bead Bracelet. The beads are Color Changing UV beads (also known as Energy Beads). While you're indoors, the beads remain white, but when you step outside into the sunlight, the beads change color. The beads contain a special UV sensitive pigment that changes color when it's exposed to sunlight. The beads will change back to their original white color when you come back indoors. Given your creativity, you'll be able to weave the magic tale.